F 



024 





Qass '^ y '1 ^'1 

Book_^ ^j 



HAND BOOK 



OP THE 



City of Atlanta 



^ Vm) rr\ a 5> H . T^ I cUrX^y~r> , C err>-vXaaj2A^. 



A Comprehensive Review of the City's Commercial, Industrial 
and Residential Conditions. 



An Honest Tale Speeds Best Being Plainly Told. 

Richard hi. 



v^^'off;geof the ">'• \ v^ 

12403 FEB19I898 



^fR OF CCv^:^ 
I ssuEDTroMTbY-nnrTiiE 

ATLANTA CITY COUNCIL 

AND THE 

ATLANTA CHAHBER OF COMMERCE. 



4885 





COFYRKiHT, 


1898 




BY 




T. 11. 


MARTIN AND V. 


V. BUI. LOCK. 



PJ^EFAOE. 



^'^HIS little volurqe was prepared to supply a derqand 
for iriforTT|ation about Atla-qta, aqd In th^e collectlorj 
of th^is iriforrqation rio pair^s h^ave been spared to mal^e 
it accurate, The figures giveq represe-qt actual co-q- 
■ditions aqd -qot estin-^ates. Atlanta can afford to tell 
"the urivarriished truth and a faithful effort has been 
made to do that in the followlr\g pages. 







^ < 

< S 

I.. §- 

O * 

t- ^ 

llJ < 

■it ^ 



Atlanta: 

TI)c 3tor>5 of its UpbQilding. 




^HE Atlanta of to-day is a growth 
of thirty-two years. Twice has 
the upbuilding of a city on this site 
demonstrated its natural advantages. 
Within a few years before the war At- 
lanta had become a bustling town of 
11,000 inhabitants, and during the three 
years which intervened before its de- 
struction the place was the seat of varied 
and important industries, whose princi- 
pal object was to sustain the military 
operations of the Confederacy. It was 
also a depot for the distribution of sup- 
plies to the surrounding country and a forwarding station for the com- 
missary department of the army. 

After its baptism of fire in November, 1864, when the inhabitants had 
been dispersed by the exigencies of war, and of more than 1,000 houses 
only 300 remained, the city took a new start, and its great growth dates 
from that time. It is, therefore, a city of the new regime, erected on the 
ruins of the old. 

The coat of arms of Atlanta fittingly typifies this remarkable history. 
No city on the continent has survived such destruction. No city has twice 
attained prominence with such rapidity. Atlanta's foundation reaches 
back to the forties, and far-seeing men recognized it then as a place of 
promise, destined to be an important railroad center and a seat of commerce. 
This conception of the new city had been accepted as a true one when it 
was destroyed by fire, and since its new birth in reconstruction days the 
old spirit arose and lighted the new path of Atlanta to a greater destiny. 

The capitol of the State was brought here from Milledgeville when the 
new city was hardly out of the ashes of war, and this gave a great impetus 
to its growth, which was further insured in 1877, when the people of Georgia 
voted to make Atlanta their capital. Its rapidly developing business and 
manufactures were brought to the attention of the whole country by the 
Cotton Exposition of 1881, which was a point of departure for the tre- 
mendous development of the Southeastern States during the decade be- 
tween 1880 and 1890. This development found a splendid illustration in 
the great Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895. 

The rapidity of the growth of Atlanta is illustrated by the fact that, 
since it was blotted from the map, the city has spread over twelve square 



Atlanta: The Story of its Upbuilding. 



miles of ground. Starting with no business in 1865, it received in 189T 
one-third of the freight delivered in Georgia, and its postoffice receipts- 
were one-third of those of the State. Thirty-two years ago there was- 
hardly a dollar to turn a trade ; within the year just closed the bank clear- 
ings aggregated $72,000,000, and the total commerce of the city, exclusive- 
of insurance, real estate and miscellaneous transactions, amounted to ^56,. 
000,000. At the beginning of this period there were only a few stragglers 
remaining in the wake of fire and sword. To-day there is a great city of 
100,000 people, the business headquarters of 120,000, with a floating popu- 
lation of many thousands more. From bare ground, covered with ashes 
and ruins in 1865, the real property of the city has been built up to a value 
of $60,500,000, consisting largely of solid masses of brick and mortar, stone- 
and steel, which go to make up a magnificent array of handsome business 
edifices. 

The question, wherefore Atlanta? naturally arises, for communities are- 
not effects without causes. Atlanta is the result of a combination of ad- 
vantages, on a commanding geographical location, turned to the best ac- 
count by a spirit of transcendent energy, which surmounts all obstacles 
and builds even on disaster the fabric of success. The growth of this un- 
conquerable spirit has been promoted by a unity of purpose which has- 
prevented the domination of factions. Whatever local interests may clash, 
the good of Atlanta is always a rallying cry. The Atlanta spirit, which 
has accomplished so much in the upbuilding of the city itself, is happily 
contagious, and has much to do with making Georgia the Empire State of 
the South, The spirit of new life has spread from this to other Southern 
States which are the most active in the development of their resources, and. 
the spirit of the Southeast is the spirit of Atlanta. 

For this moral and material eminence Atlanta is fortunately situated on 
a ridge which divides the water-shed of the Atlantic from that of the gulf, 
and at a point where the natural barrier of the Apalachian chain is broken 
by great gaps in the mountains. This is the natural point of intersection 
for railway lines from the West with lines from the East. 

This geographical vantage ground is accompanied by a topographical 
eminence, from which the great climatic advantages of Atlanta are de- 
rived. More than 1,000 feet above sea level at its lowest point, and from 
eleven to twelve hundred at other places, Atlanta enjoys a cool, bracing 
atmosphere, with breezes that blow over the foot-hills of the Blue Ridge. 
The exhilarating air is a kind of natural tonic, so different from that of 
the coast and gulf regions that an inhabitant of the low countries, coming 
to Atlanta during the heated term, feels a stimulus as if he had been drink- 
ing great draughts of aerial champagne. The rolling surface of the country, 
which slopes in almost every direction from the city, affords easy drainage 
and keeps the surrounding region free from malaria. 

Atlanta's public buildings typify the solid character of her institutions. 
Most conspicuous among them is the State capitol, which was erected at a 



Atlanta: The Story of its- Upbuilding. 




PEACHTREE ST. — VIEW FROM ELLIS ST. 



cost of $1,000,000. This stately structure, the custom house, the county 
court house, and other public edifices, make up an aggregate of seven ta 
eight millions invested in public buildings. 

Outside of public buildings, the architecture of Atlanta is of a pleasing 
character, and has steadily improved during the past thirty years. Few 
cities in any part of the United States can show more attractive residence 
streets or architectural designs indicating more culture and good taste. 
Peachtree street, the principal one for residences, has a number of elegant 
homes which would be ornaments to any city. 

Atlanta is a city of homes, and this is apparent not only in the appear- 
ance of the houses, but in the statistics of the United States census, by 




WASHINGTON ST. — VIEW FROM WOODWARD AVE. 



Atlanta : The Story of its Upbuilding. 



which Athmta is accredited with a larger percentage of home owners than 
any city of its size in the Southern States. 

Architecture has had notable development in the business edifices of At- 
lanta during the past eight years, and buildings which were notable in 1890 
are insignificant in comparison with the great oflice structures which have 
been erected since then. Xo city in the United States can surpass the group 
of office buildings erected in Atlanta during the past decade. This fully 
appears from the illustrations, which show the exteriors of many such edi- 
fices, and the interiors are in keeping with the imposing character of the 
architectural designs. 

A? will more fully appear in the chapter devoted to municipal affairs, 
the street improvements and public works are of a substantial character. 
The business streets are paved with granite blocks, and much of the resi- 
dence portion of the city is similarly improved, while other streets are 
paved with asphalt and vitrified brick. Extending from the city limits 
there are graded roads macadamized with granite or chert, which give an 
ideal drive extending for some distance north and south of Atlanta, afford- 
ing a smooth and solid roadway for twenty miles. 

The water supply for domestic and manufacturing purposes and for sani- 
tary use is hardly equalled in any city of Atlanta's size, and the rates per 
thousand gallons for families or for manufacturing purposes are merely 
nominal, and probabh' lower than any on record. 

Conditions in Atlanta are highly favorable to manufacturing industries, 
and this is attested by the great variety of articles made here. More than 
150 establishments are in successful operation, employing about 8,000 oper- 
atives at good wages, and pouring into the channels of trade an annual 
pay-roll of 82.500,000. The value of the raw material consumed is more 
than 86.1)00,000, and the product between fourteen and fifteen millions. 
The factories of Atlanta take the cotton crop ot four average Georgia coun- 
ties. 

The manufactures of Atlanta in their variety have a guaranty of stability 
not to be found in those of any city where industry is confined to one 
family, as of iron or cotton, however important that may be, and the ex- 
tent of this variety is to some degree indicated in the chapter on this sub- 
ject. Among the articles made here are many specialties, for which there 
is a demand in almost every State in the Union, and concerns making 
them have enjoyed prosperity through a long series of years. 

The trade of Atlanta covers more or less all of the States between the 
Ohio and Potomac rivers, the gulf, the Atlantic ocean and the Mississippi 
river, and in some lines extends to the far Southwestern States and into 
Mexico, while in a few it covers the entire country. The tendency of the 
iobbing trade of the Southeast is to concentrate in Atlanta, and little by 
little the business of other centers gravitates to this city. 

Atlanta's commanding geographical and topographical situation was, at 
the outset, one of the causes which led to the development of a great rail- 



Atlanta : The Story of its Upbuilding. 




PEACHTREE ST. — VIEW FROM FIFTH ST. 

road center, at which powerful systems from the East, the West and the 
Southwest regularly compete. As a distributing point Atlanta enjoys fa- 
cilities hardl}^ equalled elsewhere in the Southeastern States, and as an 
accessible place of rendezvous for all kinds of organizations and interests, 
it is a favorite, and has come to be known as the Convention City. The 
terminal facilities of the railroads centering in Atlanta are very extensive, 
and will shortly be greatly enlarged by the completion of a belt railroad, 
which is under construction and already partly completed. By this means 
the transfer of through freight will be made without interference with local 
business, whose immense proportions will be realized from the simple state- 
ment that of 248,000 cars unloaded on side-tracks in this State and half 
of Florida in 1897, 75,000 were unloaded in Atlanta. 

Atlanta's financial institutions are of the most solid character, and among 




CAPITOL AVENUE — VIEW FKOM WOODWARD AVENUE. 



lo Atlanta: The Story of its Upbuilding. 

her banks are several whose phenomenal success is indicated by the very- 
large surplus they have accumulated and the handsome dividends they 
regularly declare. Atlanta is the financial center of Georgia, and much 
business from the surrounding country is cleared through the banks of the 
city. The clearings represent a larger business, in proportion, than those 
of cities whose exchanges are swollen by cotton receipts, the margin upon 
which is very small. Atlanta's exchanges, on the contrary, represent a 
broad variety of business, on which a fair, conservative business profit is 
made, and therefore represent a far greater degree of activity and prosper- 
ity than clearings composed largely of cotton business. This city is stead- 
ily developing the type of financial institutions known as trust companies, 
and some of these have under way important operations involving millions 
of dollars. 

Atlanta is the third city in the United States in the amount of insur- 
ance written and reported to agencies. It is the Southern headquarters for 
a number of fire and life insurance companies, and agencies of old line and 
every other type of insurance are numerous. The financial and social 
standing of the insurance men of Atlanta is high, and they wield a great 
influence in the Southern field. Besides the outside companies repre- 
sented, there are several strong local concerns which have developed within 
the past twenty years and are doing a very large and prosperous business. 
The educational facilities of Atlanta are fully treated in a separate chap- 
ter, in which it appears that this city is abreast of the times in this as in 
other respects. Atlanta early established a system of public schools, and 
before almost any city in the South, turned its attention to technical edu- 
cation. The Technological School was established by the State of Georgia 
upon inducements off"ered by the city of Atlanta, which bore half of 
the cost of the original plant, and contributes regularly to the support of 
the institution. There is ample opportunity here for technical instruction 
of other kinds, and Atlanta has three medical colleges, whose attendance 
averages 600, to say nothing of the students of the dental colleges. Techni- 
cal instruction in business methods is not neglected, and two large and 
flourishing business colleges have maintained themselves here for many 
years. 

With the system of public instruction in elementary and higher branches 
and in the technique of various pursuits, Atlanta has facilities for a broader 
and more liberal culture in the libraries and lecture courses open to the 
public. 

The religious and social atmosphere of Atlanta is wholesome and invig- 
orating. It is a city of churches and the home of church-going people, 
and the community is honeycombed with fraternal organizations. 

The social intercourse of the people, as well as the facility for doing 
business, is greatly aided by an ideal system of rapid transit, not only from 
the residence and suburban sections to the center, but from one residence 



Atlanta : The Story of its Upbuilding 



II 




PEACHTREE ST. — VIEW FROM PINE ST. 



portion to another. The neighborly spirit is enhanced by the nearness 
thus artificially created. 

With all these advantages, and many which appear more fully in subse- 
quent chapters, Atlanta has a wholesome and inspiring public spirit which 
never fails to respond when the interests of the city are at stake. This is 
perhaps the most distinctive thing about Atlanta, much as there is to say 
of her various advantages and magnificent institutions. These, after all, 
are the creation of the people of Atlanta, and the result of that same spirit 
working out its marvels in physical form. This is the spirit which has 
made Atlanta a household word in every city, town and hamlet in the 
United States, and has carried her fame to almost every community in the 
old world. 




SOUTH PRYOR ST. — VIEW FROM RICHARDSON ST. 



12 



Atlanta : The Story of its Upbuilding. 



With this admirable esprit de corps there is a broad and catholic spirit 
born of the cosmopolitan character of the people. The population is 
principally composed of the best elements of the Southern States, with an 
admixture of enterprising and progressive people from the North and West, 
all striving with generous rivalry for the upbuilding of the city. All 
creeds and cults and political faiths are represented, and for each there is 
not only toleration but welcome and sympathy, according to his individual 
deserts. The people of Atlanta are hospitable, broad, liberal, big-hearted, 
whole-hearted, fair and free. 




THE GRADY MONUMENT. 



Atlanta of To-da^. 

Popctlation, Area and (lovernment. 



|HE census of 
1880 gave At- 
lanta a population 
of39,000, andby the 
city assessment of 
the next year the 
real estate was val- 
ued at $14,721,883 
and the personal 
property at $7,474,- 
258. By 1890 the 
population had 
grown to 65,000 and 
real estate was val- 
ued at $39,729,894. 
In the same period 
personal property 
grew to $11,906,605. 
The decade between 
1880 and 1890 was 
the one during 
which Atlanta made 
the most remarkable 
advance, but during 
the great depres- 
sion through which 
the whole country 
has passed since 1890 
the progress of this 
city has been re- 
markable. In spite 
of a somewhat lower 
scale of valuation for suburban real estate, the assessor's report for 1897 
showed realty valued at $43,476,868, and personalty $11,092,444. This 




A NORTH PRYOR STREET BLOCK, 



14 



Atlanta of To-Day. 



value was created in thirty-two years, for Atlanta came out of the civil 
war naked and desolate. 

By a census taken in December, 1896, the population of Atlanta, by 
wards, was found to be as follows : 

First Ward 14,847 

Second Ward 13,756 

Third Ward 11,015 

Fourth Ward 14,997 

Fifth AVard 11,661 

Sixth Ward 14,245 

Seventh Ward 2,729 



Total 



83,260 



This census was taken 
hastily and it is esti- 
mated by experts that 
it was short nearly 2,000, 
and the population was 
really 85,000. The three 
percent, increase in the 
number of names, shown 
by city directory for 
1898, applied to these 
figures, would give for 
the present a population 
of 87,250 within the city 
limits. This does not 
represent entirely the 
population of Atlanta, 
for there are numerous 
suburban settlements 
occupied by people 
whose daily business is 
in Atlanta. The direc- 
tory names indicate that 
the population of the 
city, including these sub- 
urbs, is 121,000. The population in .January, 1895, was in the same man- 
ner estimated at 108,000; in 1896, 114,000,\nd in 1897, 117,000. The 
growth indicated by these figures is likewise reflected by the bank clear- 
ings and the statistics of tonnage which appear in appropriate chapters. 

Area and Expansion, 

Atlanta is a city of magnificent distances, covering about twelve square 
miles. With abundance of room and fresh air, the circular form of the 




COUNTY COURT HOUSK, 



Atlanta of To-Day. 



I? 



-city makes it compact, and the residence portions are, as a rule, equidistant 
from the business center. The corporate line is described by a radius 
■of a mile and three-quarters. In two places this circle is expanded to take 
in suburban communities which had been formed with irregular bound- 
aries before the circular corporation line reached them. These are Inman 
Park and West End, which extend from half a mile to a mile beyond the 
•circle which elsewhere forms the corporate limits. 

Atlanta is situated on rolling ground, which gives every facility for 
•drainage and contributes materially to the effectiveness of the elaborate 
system of sewers which has been laid out on the plans of an eminent sani- 
tary engineer, Rudolph Hering, of New York. This rolling country extends 
in every direction, and suburban communities are rapidly extending. The 
■electric lines reach out for six or eight miles on all sides of the city, and 
afford quick and cheap access for the outlying towns. As a result of this 
elaborate system of rapid transit, there has been a remarkable expansion 
of the city within the past ten years, and the pressure on the center has 
"been greatly relieved. It is estimated that the suburban trains and street- 
«car systems of Atlanta bring in and carry out 30,000 people a day. 




STATE CAPITOL. 



i6 



Atlanta of To-Day. 



Cit^ (lovernment. 



The city govern- 
ment of Atlanta is 
administered by a 
Mayor and General 
Council. The leg- 
islative body is 
composed of thir- 
teen councilmen 
from the different 
wards, elected by 
the whole city, and 
six aldermen who 
are elected in a like 
manner. The 
alder m en and 




DIXON GARBAGE CREMATORY. 




POLICE HEADQUARTERS. 



councilmen vote 
separately on mat- 
ters involving the 
expenditure of 
money, and the 
concurrence of 
both bodies is nec- 
essary to an ap- 
propriation. The 
mayor has the 
usual veto power. 

The city depart- 
ments are managed 
by commissioners- 
or boards elected 
by the city coun- 
cil, and thus every 
ieature of public 
business is con- 
trol 1 e d by the 
chosen representa- 
tives of the tax- 
payers. These de- 
partments work in 
harmony and for 
the public good. 



Atlanta of To-Dav. 



17 



Finance. 

The tax rate is one and a quarter per cent, and the rate of tax assessment 
is about sixty per cent, of the actual value of property. Under the State law 
railroads pay tax like other property owners. 

The bonded debt of Atlanta is as follows : 

Waterworks bonds, old works, $427,000 

" " new works, 746,000 

Railroad subsidy bonds, Georgia Western 300,000 

A. & C. Air Line 300,000 

Floating debt bonds 100,000 

Redemption bonds 974,000 

Capitol bonds 55,500 

West End bonds 50,000 



$2,952,500 



There is no floating debt. The city carries over a cash balance at 
the end of each year. 

Under the Constitu- 
tion of Georgia the 
bonded debt of munic 
ipalities is limited to 
seven per cent, of the 
assessed valuation of 
taxable property, real 
and personal, and no 
new bonds can be 
issued without provid- 
ing a sinking fund. As 
this property in Atlanta 
amounts to $54,569,312 
and there is railroad 
property in addition 
amounting to $1,500,- 
€00, within the city 
limits, the public debt 
of Atlanta is about a 
million dollars less than 
the amount authorized 
by the organic law of 
the State. 

The charter of At- 
lanta provides for a 
perpetual sinking fund 
of $175,000, which is 




MARKHAM HOUSE BLOCK. 



Atlanta of To-Day, 



carried over from year to year as a treasury balance. It gives the city a- 
fund with which to meet unusual drafts upon its treasury in the early part 
of the year, and avoids the necessity of borrowing money to anticipate- 
the revenues. 

There is a water bond sinking fund of $6,000 set aside from the revenues- 
of each year, and this has accumulated $36,000 towards the extinguishment 
of S182,000 of waterworks bonds due in 1922. For the extinguishment of 
$50,000 of redemption bonds due in 1924, the sum of $1,667 is set aside- 
from each year's revenue, and this fund amounts to $6,678. 

In addition it is proposed to begin this year a sinking fund for the re- 
mainder of the bonds issued to build the new waterworks. Of these bonds 
to the amount of $64,000 mature in 1902 and $500,000 in 1922. For these- 
an annual sinking fund of $37,000 will be required and has been provided for.. 

Atlanta pays one-tenth of the property tax of the State of Georgia, con- 
tributing over $250,000 to the revenue of the State from the ad valorem tax,. 
to say nothing of specific taxes, which very largely increase that sum. The- 
tax returns do not include public property amounting to $7,500,000. That 
owned by the city of Atlanta amounts to $5,636,500, the State capitol cost 
$1,000,000, and other property owned by the Federal Government and the- 
county of Fulton is easily worth $500,000. 

In addition to this is the property of 112 churches and several untax- 
able libraries, schools and charity organizations, which swell the list of ex- 
empted property to something like $9,000,000. 

The revenues and expenditures of Atlanta for 1897 are given below : 



REVENUE. 

The ordinary revenue of Atlanta 
$1,184,227 29, derived from the follow 

General tax S 

Business licenses 

Dray and hack licenses 

Wholesale liquor licenses 

Retail liquor licenbe.s 

Insurance commitslon returns 

Water rents 

Recorder's court 

State school fund 

Marshal's sales 

Miscellaneous receipts 



for 1897 -was 

ing sources: 

744,014 92 

82,875 5() 

5,657 05 

800 no 

S0,90o 29 
8,590 87 
92,484 :^2 
16,476 70 
32,856 91 
18.504 80 
34,374 52 



Total $ 1,118,-201 94 



FOB STEEET IMPROVEMENTS. 

Asphalt, granite block and rubble 

assessments 13 

Sidewalk and curbing assessment .. 10 

Sewer assessments 37 

Sewer connection charges 1 

Removing and replacing pavements 3 



S 66 

1,118: 



,149 86 
,614 42 
,839 63 
479 35 
,942 09 

025 35 
,201 94 



Total ordinary revenue $ 1,184,227 29 

Brought over from previous year ] 
on account of sinking funds, i 
payment on purchase of coun- |- 290.808 58 
ty courthouse aud unfinished | 
workand outstanding warrants J 

Total receipts, 1897 8 1,475,035 87 



EXPENDITURES. 



Mayor's ofiice 

City council 

City hall 

Police department 

Tax collection expenses. 

Fire department 

Cemeteries 

Sewers 

Streets 

Engineering 

Public works 



Water works- 
Operation 

New mains 

Street liijhts 

Law department 

Parks 

Relief (including Grady Hospital). 

Public schools 

City comptroller's office , 

Bridges 

Sanitary department 

Contingent expenses 



Total ordinary expenditures. 

Interest on bonds, , 

Other items, finance 



3,607 or 

9,000 00' 

7,867 64 

135,287 38- 

33,040 56. 

105.944 88 

11,941 38 

43 40i 96 

80,418 39' 

6,967 43- 

3,000 00 



74,845 66- 

35,000 00 

64,347 70 

19 097 93- 

8,868 38 

46,460 43- 

141,999 11 

5,453 ;»■ 

10,790 00 

115,676 74 

7,840 49' 



Total disbursements 
Carried over to 1898. , 



970.8.^7 0» 
173,142 50 
72,135 00' 

I 1,216,134 58 
258,901 2» 

$ 1,475,035 8T 



Atlanta of To- Day. 



19 



The Police Department. 

Atlanta has [a remarkably efficient Police Department. The men are 
selected with a view to physical fitness, as well as intelligence and moral 
worth, and are regularly drilled by an officer of the State military 
organization. The detective service is well manned and efficient. 

The Police Department is controlled by a Board of Police Commis- 
sioners, consisting of six members, who are elected by the Mayor and 
General Council, with the Mayor as an ex officio member, making seven in 
all. The force is disciplined by rules and regulations adopted by the 
Board and approved by the General Council. 

The police force is divided into three reliefs of eight hours each, as\ 
follows : 

First or Morning Watch : One captain, two patrol sergeants, forty patrol- 
men. 

Second or Day Watch : One captain, one patrol sergeant, eighteen patrol- 
men, one mounted sergeant, twelve mounted men. 

Third or Evening Watch : One captain, two patrol sergeants, forty-four 
patrolmen, six bicycle men. 

The following officers 
are required to do duty 
twelve hours : 

One captain of detect- 
ives, one detective ser- 
geant, seven detectives, 
two desk sergeants, six 
wagon men, two call 
men on horses, one call 
man on bicycle, two 
turn keys, two Oakland 
cemetery guards, one 
officer Grant park, one 
officer Piedmont park, 
one court bailiff, one 
custodian. 

The central station 
was completed in March, 
1893, since which time 
it has been occupied, 
and has every modern 
prison convenience. 
There are forty-three 
celly, which accommo- 
date about one hundred 
and fifty prisoners. _ te,„,,_j, court. 




20 



Atlanta of To-Day. 




' n. fit """ 



The armory is 
equipped with one 
hundred and twen- 
ty-five 44-c a 1 i b r e 
Winchester rifles, 
and with these al- 
most any riot that 
may occur can be 
soon quelled. There 
are t w e n t y-f our 
horses and six pa- 
trol wagons, four 
single and two 
double. 

The police signal 
system was c o m- 
pleted in the early 
part of 1891, and 
has given general 
satisfaction. It en- 
ables the officers on 
their beats to get 
the patrol wagon 
much more quickly 
than by private tel- 
ephone, which al- 
lows them to give more attention to their beats. The patrolmen are 
required to report through signal boxes to the central station once each hour, 
so that any information deemed necessary for the welfare of their beats or 
the city at large may be communicated to and from them. This system 
has added much to the efficiency of the department. 

The amount appropriated to the Police Department for the year 1896 was 
$140,730.00. Expenses incurred for the year, $140,088.36. The amount of 
fines imposed by the Recorder during 1897 was $53,786.38. There was col- 
lected, $15,876.18; worked out on streets, $34,715.70. 




GRAND OPERA HOUSE. 



The Fire Department. 

The Atlanta Fire Department, in equipment, is hardly surpassed by that 
of any city of the same size, and in efficiency has no superior. The 
fire record for 1897, with 401 fires, showed a loss of $95,212, only a little 
over three per cent, of the value of property at risk, which, with con- 
tents of buildings, was $2,970,665. 

Of these fires 292 were in frame buildings, 57 in brick, one in a stone 
building, one in a freight car, and two in corrugated iron structures. In a 



Atlanta of To-Day. 



21 




PIEDMONT DRIVING CLUB. 



large majority of cases 
the damage did not ex- 
ceed $50, and in only 
twenty-seven did it ex- 
ceed $500. 

For the twelve and 
a half years from July 
1st, 1885, to December 
31st, 1897, there were 
3,083 fires, with a total 
loss of $1,390,591. 
Casualties are very 
rare, and during the 
time only two lives 
were lost, and injuries 
few and unimportant. 
Attached to the de- 
partment is an electrical engineer, who attends all fires, cuts electric wires 
and takes such other precautions as may be necessary to protect the 
firemen. 

The department is under the absolute control of the chief and has the 
efficiency and discipline of a military organization. Its freedom from 
political domination has made it a merit system. The accounts are 
audited by a board of firemasters, composed ol the mayor, the chief of the 
department, and five members elected by the city council. 

The officers of the fire department are the chief, twelve foremen and the 
superintendent of the fire-alarm system. There are in all one hundred 

and five men em- 
ployed in the de- 
partment and the 
equipment includes 
three hook and lad- 
der trucks, two 
chemical engines, 
one extension lad- 
der truck, eight 
hose wagons, and 
three engines. The 
buildings occupied 
at the eight stations 
are valued at $146,- 
000. Stations are 
all constructed of 
brick. 




CAPITAL CITY CLUB, 



22 



Atlanta of To-Day. 



The Sanitary Department. 

Atlanta has a well organized sanitary department, supervised by a 
board of health, composed of four leading physicians, two citizens and 
the mayor, under whose direction a force of 240 men and 185 horses and 
mules is constantly employed. The workof the department includes, besides 
the usual scavenger service, street cleaning, garbage removal, etc., the close 
inspection of fruit, vegetables, meats and milk, and strict supervision of all 
plumbing construction. In case of epidemic the board of health has ample 
power to use such measures as may be necessary for the isolation or quar- 
antine of contagious or infectious diseases. The efficiency of the board has 
been tested recently by the yellow fever, when, with hundreds of people 
passing through Atlanta from the low countries along the gulf coast, not a 
single case developed in any resident of the city. The system, while not 
unnecessarily drastic, is efficient and satisfactory. 

The organization of the sanitary department is as follows : One chief 
sanitary inspector, 6 district sanitary inspectors, 1 milk and market inspec- 
tor, 1 plumbing inspector, 2 sewer and hydrant inspectors, 1 bookkeeper, 
stenographer and registrar of vital statistics, 1 chemist, 1 superintendent of 
farm, stables and grounds, 1 foreman of night sweepers, 1 foreman of 
crematory, 1 foreman of shops, 1 foreman of stables, 2 road watchmen, 1 
stable night-watchman, 1 fireman of crematory, 1 woodworkman, 3 black- 
smiths, 2 drivers of street sprinklers, 6 drivers of sweeping machines, 6 
helpers on sweeping machines, 6 drivers of two-horse wagons with sweeping 
machines, 6 helpers on wagons with sweeping machines, 1 driver of infec- 
tious wagon, 1 helper on infectious wagon, 1 driver of ambulance, 31 gar- 
bage or gutter sweepers, 21 drivers of night-soil wagons, 21 helpers on night- 
soil wagons, 29 garbage wagon drivers, 29 helpers on garbage wagons, 4 dri- 
vers of dump wagons, 55 drivers of dump carts, 4 laborers at the crematory, 
12 laborers on the dump and pits, 3 laborers in stables, 6 laborers with sewer 
inspectors, and 1 laborer (stable man) in the city, making in all 270 men. 

The department is serving about 17,500 premises, which cover the entire 
city. Every house not exempted is assessed a sanitary tax of $3.00 an- 
nually, the aggregate of which amounts to about S50,000. The exempted 
houses are churches, school-houses, fire department houses and all houses 
belonging to the city, State and United States governments. 

Vital Statistics, 1897. 



BIRTHS. 

Total number 935 

Total white... ......". m\ 

Total colored ::!04 

Total males 511 

Total females |".. 424 



DEATHS. 

Total number deaths during 1897 1,826 

Total n\nnber deaths during 1«9G 1,861 

Total number deaths during 1S9.5 1,673 

Total number deaths durius 1S94 I,o70 

Totalnumber deaths during 1893 1,633 



MORTALITY, WHITES AND COLORED. 

o.^^**®^ *^??:'^^®' '^^1' PoPUl'^tion 51,000. Deaths per thousand. 18.67. Colored: deaths 874, population 
34,000. Deaths per thousand, 2.5.70. Total deaths, 1,826 ; population 85,000; deaths per thousand, 21.48. 



Atlanta of To Day, 



23 



Street Improvements. 

The system of street 
improvements in At- 
lanta is based upon a 
division of the expense 
between the city, the 
.abutting property own- 
ers and the street rail- 
way companies, where 
the latter occupy a por- 
tion of the street. The 
rule has been that assess- 
ments could be levied 
-where a petition repre- 
senting the owners of 
one-third of the abut- 
ting property asked for 
the improvements, but 
:at the recent session of 
the legislature an 
.amendment to the char- 
ter made the require- 
ment a petition repre- 
senting fifty per cent, of the abutting property. Before an ordinance re- 
quiring such improvements can be passed they must be approved by the 
Superintendent of Public Works and the City Engineer, and when the 
work has been ordered each piece must be let to contract separately. 




TELEPHONE EXCHANGE. 




JEWISH ORPHANS HOME. 



24 Atlanta of To-Day, 



Under the law no member of the city council can be a party to any con- 
tract with the city. Where sewers are laid abutting property owners are 
assessed seventy cents per foot on each side. This exceeds the cost of 
lateral sewers of small dimensions on side streets, and helps to make up 
the cost of trunk sewers. 

The system of sewers was laid out in 1890 upon a plan prepared by the 
eminent sanitary engineer, Mr. Rudolph Hering, of New York, after a 
thorough survey of the city, with due regard to the rainfall and amount of 
storm water and sewage to be carried off. The system in use here is one of 
combined sewers, carrying both storm water and sewage. The water con- 
nections for residences and buildings are kept up to the sanitary standard 
approved by the Board of Health and set forth in the plumbing ordinance, 
which was adopted ten years ago. This ordinance requires the standard 
traps and open air vents, with approved flush tanks for closets and 1,000- 
gallon flush tanks imbedded in the streets at suitable distances to clear the 
sewers. 

The City Engineer gives the following statement concerning street im- 
provements : 

"There are in the city a total of 61.81-100 miles of paved streets, the 
cost of which amounts to $,1869,080.52. Of these 1.58-100 miles are vitri- 
fied brick, 1.35-100 miles of asphalt, 5.30-100 miles of macadam, 3.50-100 
miles of rubble, and 50.08-100 miles of granite blocks. 

" Ihere are 65.86-100 miles of sewers, varying in size from eight inches 
to ten feet in diameter, laid at a total cost of $710,554.56. There are 196.28 
miles of curbing and sidewalks, most of which are paved with brick, at 
a cost of $626,232.23. All of this work has been done since 1880 and paid 
for by special assessments and from the general tax without the issuance of 
any bonds for this purpose. 

''Street improvements are made on the petition of not less than one- 
third (now one-half) of the property frontage, and the expense is met by 
assessing two-thirds of the co^t against the property and one-third is paid 
from the general tax. In streets occupied by a street railway company 
eleven feet in width is paid for by the street railway company occupying 
the street and the balance is apportioned as above described. 

Sewers are laid by an appropriation from the general tax, but an assess- 
ment of seventy cents per lineal foot is collected from the abutting property 
The entire cost of curbing and sidewalks is paid by abutting property." 

Building Inspection and Statistics. 

Buildings in Atlanta are under the inspection of an experienced builder, 
and before permits can be issued the character of the building, with the 
cost and location, must be registered with the Inspector, who has an office 
in the city hall. The usual rules prevail as to fire limits, and at the recent 
session of the legislature the city was given power to control the location of 
livery stables. A careful record is kept of all buildings, and permits and 



Atlanta of To-Day. 



25 



structures are classified as to character and location. This gives a very 
accurate measure of the extent and value of improvements, and also indi- 
cates what portions of the city are progressing most rapidly. The Inspec- 
tor's reports for 1896 and 1897 are herewith appended, showing, by months 
and wards, the buildings constructed during that period. The record for 
1895, which was Exposition year, has been surpassed both in 1896 and 1897. 
The following figures indicate very accurately the character and extent of 
the buildings : 



Building of 1896 by Months. 



The total number of permits was 782. 
as follows : 

No. 

January 41 

February 66 



March 

April 

Mav . 


54 

!05 

75 


June 


63 


July 


85 


August 


63 


September 


61 


October 

November 

December 


72 

61 

33 



Total 782 



Issued 

Cost. 
$ 48,621 
179,434 
55,227 
156,723 
96,278 
181,125 
391,938 
103,035 
47,651 
60,595 
69,044 
14,815 

81,404,486 



Buildings of 1896 Classified, 

The buildings erected are classified as follows: 

Cost. 



28 Brick stores 

26 Frame stores 

19 Brick dwellings. 

341 Frame dwellings 

25 Public and business buildings. 
280 Additions and alterations 

63 Miscellaneous buildings 



172,525 

11038 

91,600 

.380,891 

596,984 

127 104 

24,344 



Total 11,404.486 



Building of 1897 by Months. 

The total number of permits was 1,313. Issued 
as follows: 

No. Cost. 

January 44 $ 51,910 

February 51 127,102 

March 62 238,160 

April 104 144,500 

May 93 287,007 

June 130 64,087 

July ll.-i 179,265 

August 165 147,691 

September 161 88,364 

October 141 393,009 

November 145 46,036 

December 102 36,173 

Total 1,313 «1,803,304 

Buildings of 1897 Classified. 

The buildings erected are classified as follows. 

Cost. 

22 Brick stores 9 80,425 

14 Frame stores 5,925 

5 Brick dwellings 28,600 

383 Frame dwellings 376,332 

72 Public and business buildings. 1,114,500 

727 Additions and alterations 183,563 

136 Miscellaneous buildings... 14,409 



Total 81,803,304 




HOME FOR THE FRIENDLESS. 



26 



Atlanta of To-Day. 



Atlanta's Imports. 



THERE has been an astonishing increase in imports at the Atlanta 
custom house during the past two years, as may be seen from the 
following table computed by the Surveyor of Customs, at the port of 
Atlanta. The imports for 1896 were eight times those of the preceding 
year : 

SHOWING THE PRINCIPAL DUTIABLE ARTICLES. 



ARTICLES. 


Quantities. 


Values. 


1892 


1893 


1894 


1895 


1896 


1892 


1893 


1894 


1895 


1896 


Free of Duly. 
Total free of duty 










« 406 
199 


« 193 


$ 300 


$ 573 


S21,24* 


Dutiable. 












Jewelry and precious stones . . 












1,629 
6,885 
3,121 
2,604 
2,579 


""776 
6,084 
3,230 
4,733 


8 

1,395 

847 
2,421 


70 

2,554 

186 

6,027 


13 086- 














1,437 

882- 
439^ 


Tobacco and mfg. of leaf. Pounds .... 


6,204 
610 


12,943 
733 


2,335 
180 


4,9-21 
46 


2,970 
140 


All other dutiable articles 


44,919 















Total dutiable 


$17,017 
17,423 
9,596 


114,817 
15,010 
12,081 


« 4,671 
4,971 
3,238 


8 9,837 
10,410 

4,685 


844, 90* 














81,996 
23,64ft 




























ERSKINE MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN. 




MARIETTA STREET. 



Commerce. 



ATLANTA'S commerce has the distinguishing features of an inland 
city, with a remarkably uniform state of business, changing less at 
different seasons than that of the great cotton ports like New Orleans and 
Savannah, where the volume of exchanges and shipments is immense at 
certain seasons of the year and very low in proportion at other times. 
Atlanta is at a point where there is a remarkable confluence of Eastern 
and Western business. A vast volume of traffic pouring down between the 
different ranges of the Apalachian chain converges at Atlanta and is met 
by a vastly greater volume of business from the West. This will be illus- 
trated by the tonnage figures below, from which it will be seen that the 
freight from the East for the past five years, amounting to 402,000,000 tons, 
was met by Western business of 969,000,000 tons. The miscellaneous 
business from the East is somewhat greater than that from the West, which 
amounts to 317,000,000 tons. The vast bulk of Western business consists 
of breadstuffs, packing-house products, agricultural implements, hardware, 
iron and steel, railroad iron, structural iron, etc. 

It will be seen that the volume of business from the West is about two 
and a half times that from the East, but it should be stated that the Eastern 
traffic is made up of a high class of manufactured articles which pay the 
railroads the highest rates of freight, while the Western traffic consists 



28 



Commerce. 



largely of carloads of corn, meat, iron and machinery, on which the charges 
are very low. 

The gradual amalgamation of railroad lines from the Ohio and Missis- 
sippi rivers to the Southeast has a tendency to stimulate the competition 
of Atlantic ports with the gulf ports for Western products, and the volume 
of Western business passing through Atlanta is steadily increasing, with 
conditions calculated to accelerate the increase in the near future. Atlanta 
is the gateway between the ports of Charleston, Port Royal, Savannah and 
Brunswick, and the great Western lines of the continent. The granary of 
the West is from two to three hundred miles nearer the South Atlantic 
ports than it is to New York by the great trunk lines. With the solidifi- 
cation of the Southern lines, and rates of freight over them hardening by 
competition with the gulf ports, the tendency should be to increase business 
through Atlanta to Atlantic ports at the expense of the ports in the North- 
east. For this reason the volume ot Western business through Atlanta 
must steadily increase. These facts will more fully appear from an inspec- 
tion of the following statistics of tonnage of freight into Atlanta from the 
West and freight into Atlanta from the East : 

Freight from the West. 

RECORD OF THE SOUTHEASTERN FREIGHT ASSOCIATION. 

Classified statement of tonnage from points on and beyond the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and 
from and via Lexington, Ky., and from Nashville, Tenn., Johnsonville, Tenn., and Florence, 
Sheffield and Riverton, Ala., to Atlanta, Ga., during periods named — 











22 


s-g 


|""i 














<i/ 3 


Ooj 


S^ 














a 


l« 




0) 






=e 




a 


" 5 


hTPh 


J r-3 


TS 










u 
O 

o 
iS 

3 

2 

Ph 




*^ 


■JM 


s 




During the Year 
Ended. 


3 
o 
Pi 

O 

w 


03 

K 


r a 
2| 


o a> 
•one 


racli Material C 
0. L. , stone C. 
ement C. L., 
lizers C. h. 


03 

.a 

O 
ID 

o 

Q> 

a 

c3 


3 

o 






'3 


•a 


3 - 
S to 

tJDU 




R. T 
Iron 
L., r 

Ferti 


"3 


H 




Dh 


o 


S 


< 


CO 


tf 


i 




March 31, 1893 ... 


30,946,700 


52,198,600 


5.'>,493,900 


4,597,000 


8,689,400 


23,211,600 


74,080,500 


249,217,700 


March 31, 1894 ... 


25,892,500 


55,043,600 


48,960,900 


7,065,800 


8,760,900 


13,764,000 


71,938,700 


231 ,426,400 


March 31, 1895 ... 


26,793,600 


49,992,400 


43,478,100 


3,479,900 


8,345,000 


12,434,900 


69,390,400 


213,920,300- 


March 31, 1896 ... 


28,677,200 


46,700,900 


59,532,600 


6,889,200 


14,341,400 


16,719,300 


102,061,200 


274,921,800 


Total 


112,310,000 


203,935,500 


207,465, 500 


22,031,900 


40,136,700 


66,129,800 


317,470.800 


969,486,200 





Freight from the East. 

RECORD OF THE SOUTHEASTERN FREIGHT ASSOCIATION. 

Statement of Tonnage from the Eastern Seaboard and Interior Points in New England, New- 
York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia, to Atlanta, Ga., during 
periods named — 



During the year 


ended .March 31, 1893 

March 31, 1894 


83,710,945 
79,548,512 


<i <i 


" March 31, 1895 


78,763,415 


" " 


March 31, 1896 


98,707,647 


" " 


" March 31, 1897 


61,749,793 


Total 


402,480,123; 



Commerce. 



29 



Wholesale Trade. 

Atlanta's wholesale trade is the growth of thirty years, and more partic- 
ularl}' of the last two decades. Within ten years the jobbing trade of the 
Southeastern States has been centered in this city, and smaller jobbing 
centers have from time to time contributed capital, and have contributed 
men as well, who are among the active factors in pushing Atlanta's trade. 
The business of this city reaches from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi 
river, and in some lines to Texas and Mexico. On the north Atlanta meets 
Baltimore half way and divides the distance with Cincinnati. In several 
specialties the trade of Atlanta extends throughout the United States. This 
is particularly true of cotton and paper bags, furniture and proprietary 
medicines. 

Time was when groceries were shipped from New Orleans to Atlanta, but 
such a thing is almost unheard of now, and this market receives from that 
city nothing but articles produced in the State of Louisiana. 

The domination of New York over the interior trade is a thing of the 
past. Fifteen or twenty years ago the merchants of Atlanta and vicinity 
bought comparatively few goods of the jobbing merchants here, but by de- 
grees it became apparent that there was no sense in paying freight on goods 
for eight hundred miles, while the same articles could be had at the same 
prices in this city. The same principle which is applied to all interior job- 
bing centers all over the United States has operated in Atlanta's favor, and 




SOUTH PRYOR STREET, 



30 Commerce. 

the growth of the wholesale trade here has kept pace with its increase in 
the commercial centers of the Western and Middle States. 

Atlanta jobbers are patriotic as well as enterprising, and make it a rule- 
to encourage home industry. Cotton goods which, twenty years ago, were 
bought of commission houses in New York are purchased direct from 
Southern factories, and the products of mills making jeans, hosiery, over- 
alls, clothing, shoes and many other staples are taken by jobbing houses 
and distributed from Atlanta. The anomalous condition which fifteen or 
twenty years ago caused cotton goods and other staples to be shipped from 
Georgia, the Carolinas and Alabama to New York for distribution has been 
largely overcome by the upbuilding of Atlanta as a jobbing center. The- 
same has been going on in other parts of the South, and has inured largely 
to the benefit of Southern mills, which thereby avoid the expense of 
transportation on their goods to a distant market. This disposition of the 
jobbers has acted as a stimulus to home industries, and each year the pro- 
portion of the goods bought at the South grows larger. This tendency of 
the wholesale dealers to develop local manufacturing industries is directly 
evidenced by the fact that several wholesale dry goods and notion houses 
have established, in connection with their mercantile business, factories for- 
the manufacture of pants, overalls, clothing and many other articles. In 
the meantime several such factories have been established in different parts 
of the State. 

Naturally the two largest items in Atlanta's wholesale trade are groceries 
and dry goods. The sales of groceries amounted to $9,384,000, and those 
of dry goods to $8,775,000 during the year 1897. Under the head of dry 
goods shoes and hats are included. These goods are sold from the Atlantic 
coast to the Mississippi river and from the gulf half way to Cincinnati. 
Atlanta houses carry immense stocks of goods, and their system of stock- 
keeping and supply is probably the best in the South. Hardly any city in 
the South carries an assortment equal to that kept in Atlanta- 

The hardware business of Atlanta employs more than $3,000,000 capital. 
There are a number of houses which have for years done a prosperous busi- 
ness, and the volume of trade in this line is steadily increasing. To-day 
there is no market south of Louisville which does a hardware business 
comparable with that of Atlanta. It has become necessary for firms in 
this line to lease warehouses in other cities in order to accommodate their- 
expanding business. 

In the grocery business Atlanta controls an extensive territory. It has 
not been many years since the Southeastern States were supplied in this 
line by dealers of Baltimore and New Orleans. The upbuilding of Atlanta 
has changed this. Extensive dealers in this city supply the needs of the- 
territory. Many of the large wholesale houses of Atlanta maintain branch 
establishments in other cities, thus supplementing the shipments made- 
from the home establishments. 

Atlanta has a number of strong drug houses and dealers in paints, oils, 
etc. This business covers a wide territory, including several States, and 



Commerce. 



31 




ALABAMA STREET. 



some of these firms keep stocks of goods in other cities in the South for 
shipment on orders sent to Atlanta. The proprietary goods which enter 
into every drug stock include several important compounds put up in At- 
lanta, and the business in this line is very great, reaching to almost every 
State in the Union. 

Atlanta's wholesale trade is remarkable for the solid character and high 
reputation of the firms controlling it. There have been very few failures 
during the last thirty years, and many of the houses are from twent}^ to- 
thirty years old. The volume of business is as follows : 



THE WHOLESALE TRADE OF ATLANTA. 

CapitaL Sales. 

Groceries $1,564,000 8 9,384,000 

Hardware 1,092,000 2,969,000 

Liquor 175,000 633,000 

Drugs 285,000 996,000 

Dry Goods 3,506,000 8,775'000 

Miscellaneous 1,179,000 3,534,000 

$7,801,000 826,291,000 

Retail Trade. 

Atlanta's retail trade is one of the most interesting features of its business. 
The principal retail streets are thronged with hurrying crowds almost every^ 
day in the year, and present scenes of life and activity suggestive of the- 
busiest thoroughfares in the great metropolitan cities. Enterprising con- 
cerns have made stock-keeping a specialty, and in the character and variety 



32 Commerce, 

of goods their efforts are not surpassed at any other interior city. Window- 
dressing is a fine art here, and the scenes daily presented behind plate-glass 
would do credit, not only to a metropolitan city, but to an artist's studio. 
The advertisements of Atlanta's retailers are equally striking, and their 
displays are often among the most interesting features in the daily papers. 
The systems in operation in the leading retail establishments are the same 
in vogue in the great metropolitan stores, and the delivery service is quick 
and efficient. The dry goods trade has been enlivened by the efforts of an 
unusually enterprising and talented set of merchants, and failures have 
been rare. The retail clothing business in Atlanta is immense and the 
stocks among the largest in the country. The displays of furniture, in 
extent and variety and in the good taste exercised in the selection of pat- 
terns, are not equaled elsewhere in the Southern States. The retail mar- 
kets have advanced wonderfully within the past ten years, and Atlanta 
has a set of caterers that cannot be surpassed at any inland city. Every 
kind of fish and game may be had in season, and fresh vegetables from 
the time they ripen in Florida until the last crop of the truckmen sur- 
rounding Atlanta has been marketed. The supply of poultry is particularly 
fine. East Tennessee pours down her wealth of turkeys and chickens, and 
the whole of North Georgia contributes to Atlanta's market supply. South 
Georgia furnishes an abundance of spring lambs, which are of such fine 
quality that large shipments have been made to Cincinnati and the West. 
In fresh meats Atlanta has the best of Western beef, stall-fed cattle from 
Tennessee and hog products from the West. The retail business in the 
leading lines is as follows: 

Atlanta's retail trade. 

Establishments. Capita!. Sales. 

Dry Goods 60 11,333,060 $3,699,000 

Groceries 420 734,000 2,lC6.00u 

Clothing 36 478,000 1,404,000 

Furniture ■ 52 213,000 630,000 

Butchers 80 223,000 625,000 

Drugs 48 185,000 522.000 

Hardware 19 58,000 162,000 

Jewelry 16 102,000 288,000 

Miscellaneous 55 703,000 2,097,000 



785 84,029,000 811,593,000 

Horses and Mules, 

Atlanta is the second largest market in the United States for mules and 
horses. She is only surpassed by St. Louis, and not very much surpassed 
there. The annual sale amounts to over sixty thousand animals, valued 
at between four and five million dollars. This is partly retail and partly 
wholesale trade. Two-thirds of the stock is reshipped from Atlanta as a 
distributing point into Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Alabama, 
The remaining one-third is sold here, principally at auction, during the 
winter months. The facilities for the handling of this business are unusual. 
Immense stables have been erected especially for the accommodation of 



Commerce. 



35 



horse-drovers, and hundreds of animals are accommodated at one time. 
The trade is indicated by the following table : 



Atlanta's horse and mule trade. 



Mules... 
Horses . 



Number. 
... 4fi,875 
... 15,625 



Value. 
J3,513,(;25 
1,051,875 



62,500 f4,.565,500 

Coal, Coke and Wood. 

Atlanta's trade in coal, coke and wood is very large. This city is at the 
point where coal from Alabama comes in direct competition with coal 
from Tennessee, and competing lines from the two States keep freights at 
a low figure. Steam coal averages SI. 75 per ton delivered, with little 
change at different seasons of the year. The standard price of domestic 
coal is S3.25 to S3. 75 per ton at the beginning of the season in retail lots. 
The supply is always abundant, and prices, even in the bitterest weather, 
are never exorbitant. 

The supply of wood is abundant and at reasonable prices, as Atlanta is- 
close to the heavily-timbered regions of Middle and North Georgia. 

The volume of business in fuel is indicated by the following : 



ATLANTA S FUEL TRADE. 



Soft Coal.... 
Hard Coal. 

Coke 

Wood 



.81,200,000 
50,000 
20,000 
22,000 



«1 ,292.000 




WHITEHALL STREET. 



34 Commerce. 

Manufacturers' Agents Located in Atlanta, 

Atlanta is Southern headquarters for nearly all the great manufacturing 
concerns of the North and East who maintain branch houses south of the 
Ohio river. The principal makers of railroad and structural steel, engines 
and boilers, iron and woodworking machinery, hydraulic machinery, ice 
and refrigerating machinery, electrical apparatus, elevators, rubber and 
leather belting, oil, explosives, packing-house products, spool cotton, musi- 
cal instruments, and many other important articles, are represented by 
regularly established branch houses, many of them carrying large stocks 
and employing a very considerable number of salesmen and office men. 
There are forty-three branch houses of this character in Atlanta, their an- 
nual sales aggregating nearly $3,000,000. 

Manufacturers have located their Southern branches in Atlanta because 
the city offers many substantial advantages for handling Southern trade. 
Its geographical position is first among these advantages. This advantage 
is strongly supplemented by splendid transportation facilities. Modern 
office and storage accommodations have also been important factors. 

The Cotton Business. 

The cotton business of Atlanta has been a considerable item for many 
years, and now averages about 175,000 bales per annum. This represents 
the number passing through the compresses and reshipped from Atlanta by 
local firms. As Atlanta is some distance from the coast, its receipts cannot 
be compared to those of New Orleans or Savannah, but the business done 
here represents the crop of the territory surrounding the city 

The Car Service of Atlanta. 

The relation of Atlanta to the commerce of the surrounding country is 
Indicated by the number of cars unloaded here by consignees on the side- 
tracks of the various roads entering the city. The Southeastern Car Service 
Association, which was organized in October, 1895, to secure the prompt 
loading and unloading of cars, and for that purpose to enforce a reasonable 
and uniform charge for the detention of cars when they are held over the 
time prescribed by the Railroad Commission, has kept during the past two 
years an accurate record of this business, and these statistics are a revela- 
tion. The association keeps an account of all cars unloaded by con- 
signees on practically all of the railroads of Georgia, covering 4,563 out of a 
total of 5,374 miles of railroad in this State, besides 2,510 miles in Florida. 
Their territory is one and a half times that of this State. In that territory 
during 1896 there were 179,704 cars unloaded, and in 1897 the business in- 
creased to 248,741 cars. During the same period Atlanta unloaded about 
one-fourth as many. The records show that on the side-tracks of this city 
there were unloaded 55,114 cars during 1896 and 71,884 during 1897. The 
increase for the past year in the whole territory of this State and 2,510 
miles of rail in Florida was 69,037 cars, and in Atlanta 16,770 cars. 



Commerce. 



35 




It 'r-^ fill r? 







SOUTH I'RYOR STREET. 

Thus it will be seen that during 1896 Atlanta unloaded oO per cent, of the 
cars delivered in this State and half of Florida, while during 1897 she un- 
loaded very near the same proportion. 

This tallies closely with statistics of the postoffice, showing that th& 
gross receipts for mail matter at Atlanta are about one-third of those for the- 
State of Georgia. 

The delivery of cars to consignees in Atlanta during 1897 was as follows: 

Southern Railway 24,552 

Central of Georgia Eailway , 11,054 

Western & Atlantic Railway 21,839 

Georgia Railroad 12,470 

Atlanta & West Point Railway 1,969 

Total 71,884 

These figures do not include the deliveries of cars to Atlanta consignees 
by the Seaboard Air Line. The number of these, as stated by an 
official of the road, is 4,680 



Making the grand total for Atlanta. 



76,564 



The improvement in the car service at Atlanta by the ^'more rapid hand- 
ling of business is indicated by the fact that when the Southeastern Car 
Service Association was organized in October 1895, the estimated detention 
of cars was 6.76 days. The statistics for 1897 show that the actual deten- 
tion was 2.09 days. From, this it is estimated that the railroads in this 



36 



Commerce. 



territory have saved 700,000 days' service of freight cars, which, at $1.50 
per day per car, would be a saving of more than $1,000,000. The facilities 
of the roads for handling business and the service afforded Atlanta shippers 
and consignees have been vastly increased by the work of the Association. 




THE MULE MARKET. 





, - *. 


















n 


'" '■" ' ^'^^^^^ 


J^ 1 1- 


. -^.tmaii 



THE FULTON BAG AND COTTON MILLS. 



AVanofactoring. 



ATLANTA holds a prominent place among the manufacturing cities 
of the South, and is especially strong in the variety of her industries. 
In this respect Atlanta's relation to the iron cities of the South has been 
described as similar to that which Philadelphia bears to Pittsburg. Atlanta 
has no such great iron plants as Birmingham, Chattanooga and other cities 
in Alabama and Tennessee, but it has something better in its variety of 
well-developed industries. In this respect its manufactures resemble largely 
those of Massachusetts. Though that State has a manufactured product 
of about $900,000,000, only a few items cut a very large figure. By far the 
larger part of that immense total is made up of the great variety of smaller 
industries scattered through the cities and towns of the State. It is the 
same with Atlanta's industry. One hundred and fifty-six establishments 
in a great variety of industries, with a capital of $9,343,300, and an out- 
put of $14,183,000, employ 7,985 operatives, with an annual pay-roll of 
$2,456,000. The gain of raw material by manipulation in Atlanta con- 
siderably exceeds the average percentage gain by manipulating raw mate- 
rial elsewhere. The total cost of raw material in the various manufactur- 
ing establishments is $6,178,000, and this, after the process of manufacture, 
is valued at $14,183,00(1. There is, therefore, a gain of Vl%\ per cent, on the 
value of raw material by manipulation. In other words, the product is 
worth two and three-tenths times as much after manufacture as it was in 
the shape of raw material. The average wage is $307. This indicates that, 
with all the stress of panic through which the country has passed in the 
last seven years, the average wage in Atlanta has remained about the same 
as the average for the State of Georgia, as indicated by the census of 1890. 
It will be noticed that for the amount of capital employed the manufac- 
turing establishments of Atlanta are especially effective in the amount of 



38 



Manufacturing. 




output and the number of men 
employed. The total invest- 
ment of $9,343,000 gives em- 
ployment to 7,985 people. One 
person is employed for every 
$1,154 invested. In the Mid- 
dle and Northern States the 
cost of plant for each operative 
employed is from tifty to one 
hundred per cent, more than 
this, while in some instances 
the average enhancement in 
the value of raw material by 
manipulation is something less 
than the average in this city. 
The relation of wages to raw 
material and profits is such as 
to leave a comfortable margin 
for other operating expenses 
and for returns to capital. For 
instance, of the manufactured 
product valued at $14,1S3,000 
the margin above the cost of 
raw material is $8,005,000. 
The cost of labor was less than 
half this margin, being only 
$2,456,000. It is a rule in man- 
ufacturing establishments that 
the margin is about equally 
divided between capital and 
labor. In this case capital has 
rather a better show than 
usual, receiving, instead of an 
average of about fifty per cent., 
about seventy per cent., en- 
hancement in the value of 
raw material by manipulation, 
and therefore has a safer mar- 
gin for operating expenses. 

The manufacturers of Atlan- 
ta enjoy exceptional facilities 
for the distribution of their 
products, and have an abun- 
dant and cheap supply of fuel. 
The ten lines of railroad radi- 



Manufactuking. 



39 




I'L\Nr OF THK SOUTHERN FE im 1.1/ E v I'D. 



ating from Atlanta give quick access to all parts of the territory supplied 
from this city, and many miles of siding, largely connected directly with 
the factories, afford economical facilities for loading and shipping. 

Atlanta is at a point where the coal fields of Alabama and Tennessee 
come in direct competition, and for this reason steam coal is always at a 
low price. The average price, which varies little at different seasons of 
the year, is $1.75 per ton delivered at Atlanta. 

The statistics of manufactures in Atlanta for the year 1897 were collected 
Avith great care for this handbook. A careful census was taken of the 
business in all lines. First, the names of the establishments were secured 
from the mercantile agencies, and this list was checked against the list of 
business licenses issued by the city of Atlanta. The list was further tested 
by other means, which made it complete and reliable. To these concerns 
blanks calling for the desired information were sent, and a number of 
answers were received. This process was repeated several times, and in 
the course of thirty days replies had been received from two-thirds of the 
establishments. Information from the remaining third was secured through 
a personal canvass by the Chairman of the Committee on Statistics and 



^'S^l 


1 
























^ 


11 












is 






1 


1^^ 


Hj 


■■ 




•■ ' *' - 




i 


LiE'lil 


Hi 


■B 








1 


p 


1 




p^ 


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1 


TJ 


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PLANT OF THE EXPOSmON COTTON MILLS. 



40 



Manufacturing. 



Publication and the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. In the few 
cases where information was refused the Committee secured three estimates 
on each item and took the mean as a conservative statement of the fact. 
The facts so obtained were compiled from the original memoranda. The 
result is not an estimate, but a census, and, excepting those made by the 
United States census bureau, the only one ever made of the manufactures 
of Atlanta. It is believed that this census is the most accurate that has 
ever been taken, and faithfully reflects the conditions of industry in this 
city during the year 1897. The results compiled in tabular form are as 
follows : 

ATLANTA'S MANUFACTURED OUTPUT FOR 1897. 







'6 


^^ 














oj 


o 








og 


<u 


Ut 




o i 


-o 










o 




03 


CHARACTER OF MANUFACTURES. 




a 

1 

'S- 

a 


11 

« 


o 








O 











COTTON— 

Sheetings, Drills, Bags, Hosiery, Yarns 

Iron— 

Mach'y, Agr'l Impl., Boilers, Gins, Castings 
Lumber— 

Sash, Doors, Blinds, Interior Finish 

Sheet Metal— 

Cornices, Tinware, Wirework 

Clay— 

Brick, Tile, Terra Gotta 



Commercial Fertilizers 

Wagons and Carriages 

Proprietary Medicines 

Furniture 

Candy and Crackers 

Tobacco , 

Coffins 

BoTTLiro and Carbonating 

Paper and Paper Bags 

Paints and Oils 

Cotton-seed Oil and By-Products 
Ice 



Miscellaneous., 



SI, 750,000 
1,467,000 
694,000 
222,000 
301,000 
1,215,000 
126 000 
248,000 
432,000 
235,000 

88,000 
260,000 

53,000 
480,000 
114,000 
750,000 
140,000 
718,000 



Tf>*nlR ].r,c,l $9,3.13,1,00 



«1,086,000 

560,000 

433,000 

118,000 

105,000 

1,536,000 

133,000 

208,000 

385,000 

280,000 

27,000 

57,000 

32,000 

360,0001 

188,000 

230,000 

25 000 

415.000 



12,038,000 

1,585,000 

1,046,000 

295,000 

315,000 

2,221,C00 

325,000 

457,000 

1,164,000 

525,000 

99,000 

255,000 

109,000 

785.000 

283,000 

820,000 

150,000 

1,711,000 



,178.000 114,183,000 7,985 82,456,000 



2,385 
801 
532 

98 
675 
300 
147 
134 
908 
336 

84 
105 

54 
390 

99 
310 
132 
495 



J404,000 

325,000 

216,000 

224,000 

128,000 

J- 0,000 

55,000 

84,000 

248,000 

104,000 

19,000 

75,000 

24,(00 

112,000 

21,000 

81,000 

29,000 

227,000 



Cotton Manufactures. 

Atlanta's cotton industry began in 1883, when the Atlanta Cotton 
Mill was established by public subscription with a capital stock of $300,- 
000. That mill has passed through various vicissitudes, but is now in a 
highly prosperous condition. It manufactures sheeting and drilling, and 
has 18,000 spindles and 550 looms. It has been followed by others equally 
prosperous. The Exposition Mills, located in the building where the cot- 



Manufacturing. 



41 




I'LAM' OF THE VAN WINKLE GIN & MACHINE CU. 



ton exposition of 1881 was held, and in costly structures since built, has 
from the first been a financial success. Its products are sold in China, and 
the mill is run on full time the year round. The products are sheeting, 
shirting and drills, and the mills have 36,000 spindles and 1,160 looms. 

The Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill, another large establishment, does a 
business of high class, working up raw cotton into cloth, and from the cloth 
manufacturing bags and flour sacks which are sold in almost every State of 
the union. This mill was organized in 1889, and manufactures not only 
light sheetings for flour sacks, but bagging. It has 26,560 spindles and 
1,000 looms. The establishment is the largest of its kind in the United 
States and has enjoyed phenomenal prosperity for a number of years. 

The Whittier Cotton Mill, located a few miles from Atlanta on the Chatta- 
hoochee river, was built by New England capital and is in successful opera- 




PLANT OK THE SOUTHER^ FLIRNITURE CO. 



42 



Manufacturing. 



tion. This establishment manufactures cotton yarn, twine, cordage and 
-carpet warps Nos. 20 to 40. It has 10,000 spindles and 100 braiders. 

The total strength of the cotton manufacturing industry in Atlanta is 
indicated by the fact that these mills, with 90,500 spindles and 2,710 looms, 
■consume 40,000 bales of cotton per annum. Twenty cities like Atlanta 
would consume the remainder of Georgia's cotton crop. Besides giving a 
market for the cotton produced in several counties, this industry furnishes 
•employment to 2,385 hands, and brings into Atlanta every year over $2,- 
€00,000 for the manufactured product. 

Commercial Fertilizers, 

Atlanta has nine establishments for the manufacture of commercial 
fertilizers, and among these were the pioneers of the business in this 
"State. Of about 1,500,000 tons of commercial fertilizers manufactured 
and sold in the United States, Georgia consumes one-fourth. The 
register of the State Agricultural Department for 1897 shows that 410,- 
€00 tons were consumed in the past year by the farmers of Georgia. It 
is estimated that 70 per cent, of this, or about $5,600,000 worth of 
the product, was produced in this State. The nine factories in Atlanta 
produced $2,221,000 worth of fertilizers, or considerably more than one- 
third of the product of this State. The total capital employed in this in- 
<lustry in Atlanta and suburbs is $1,215,000. The raw material is valued 
tit $1,536,000 per annum. Three hundred hands are employed at a pay- 
roll of about $800,000. 

Furniture. 

Atlanta is a great cen- 
ter for the manufacture 
of furniture. The thir- 
teen factories here, with 
a capital stock of $432,- 
000, consume raw mate- 
rial valued at $385,000, 
and their product for 
the past year was val- 
ued at $1,164,000. The 
thirteen establishments 
employ 90S people, with 
an annual pay-roll of 
$248,000. Much of the 
furniture manufactured 
in Atlanta is of high 
class, and is sold largely 
in the Eastern markets. 
At the annual furniture 
pi.ANToK THE AT1.ANIAPAPKRCO. cxhibitiou at Graud 




Manufacturing. 



43 




PLANT OF THE GATE CITY OIL CO. 



Hapids the Atlanta factories are well represented, and many thousands of 
•dollars' worth of goods are sold there for shipment direct from Atlanta to 
all parts of the country. This city has exceptional facilities for obtaining 
the hard-woods used in the manufacture of furniture, particularly oak, 
which is and always will be a popular material. The mountains of North 
Oeorgia are filled with many kinds of hard-wood, and the valleys of the 
streams in that portion of the State and adjacent parts of Alabama abound 
with white oak of fine quality, which is valuable not only for furniture, 
but for agricultural implements and wagons. 

Cotton- Seed Oil and By- Products. 

The cotton-seed oil industry is one of the notable ones in Atlanta. There 
are four establishments with an investment of $750,000, using raw material 
valued at 1230,000, which under manipulation attains a value of $820,000. 
These establishments employ 310 hands at an annual pay-roll of $81,000. 

Paj^er and Paper Bags. 

This industry is one of the most remarkable successes in Atlanta. The 
paper bags made here are sold in every State in the Union, and the patent- 
ed process used in making them, which is an Atlanta invention, is said to 
be superior to any in the United States. Five establishments in this in- 
dustry have an investment of $480,000, use raw material to the amount 
of $360,000, and have an annual product of $785,000. They employ 390 
operatives with an annual pay-roll of $112,000. 

Agricultural Implements. 

One of Atlanta's strongest industries is the manufacture of agricultural 
implements. This is the growth of more than twenty years, and the sales 
of the products extend through every State in the South and largely into 



44 



Mam I'Aci'UKiNG. 



Mexico. Tlie amount of money invested in this industry is about $300,- 
000, the product about $500,000 and the number of hands about 325, with a 
I)ay-roll of $100,000 per annum. 

Twenty years ago the agricultural implements of the Southern States 
were furnished largely by inanufacturers in the Middle and Western States, 
but gradually Soutli('rn concerns, among which the Atlanta factories were 
[)ioneers, began to take the field, and they are practically without competi- 
tion from a distance; in the South(!rn tcu'ritory, and hav(! a very large busi- 
ness in Mexico. 




■||||''. A'll.ANIA ColloN MILLS. 



^anl^ing and In<^arance. 



THE banks of Atlanta are 
among the most solid 
and influential financial insti- 
tutions of the Southern States. 
They are managed by able and 
experienced financiers, whose 
ability is evidenced by the fact 
that several of the Atlanta 
banks have accumulated sur- 
pluses so large as to attract the 
attention of bankers through- 
out the United States. 

The character of Atlanta's 
banking business is different 
from that of other Southern 
centers. Atlanta is the clear- 
ing-house for most of the State 
of Georgia, and checks are sent 
here for collection from the 
great cities of the Eastern, the 
Middle and the Western 
States. 

The bank clearings, of which 
statistics for five years appear 
below, to some extent reflect 
the business of Atlanta ; but it 
should be borne in mind that 
certain classes of business do 
not appear in this statement. 
For instance, in the wholesale 
grocery trade about half of the 
business is done by direct ship- 
ment from the place of produc- 
tion to the consumer, and much 
of it does not pass through Atlanta. The wholesale grocers, as a rule, are 
paid for these goods in New York exchange, which is frequently deposited 
in New York, and, therefore, does not appear in the local clearings. A 
careful estimate by a leading wholesale grocer, who served a term as Presi- 
dent of the Chamber of Commerce, puts the amount of business done by 
Atlanta houses which does not appear in the clearings at $10,000,000. 

The clearings of Atlanta represent a great deal more business than the 
same figures would at other cities where cotton enters largely into the 




ATLANTA NATIONAL BANK. 



46 Bankimg and Insurance. 



volume of exchanges. On cotton the margin is very close, and a vast 
amount of business in dollars and cents will pass through the banks with- 
out doing the community a great deal of good. Thus at some of the coast 
cities comparatively few firms, without a large number of employees, will do 
a cotton business amounting to many millions of dollars. In Atlanta the 
cotton business, while respectable, is not an overshadowing item. Atlanta's 
clearings are far more uniform than those of cotton markets, whose banking 
business runs up during the cotton season and falls to a low ebb at other 
times. The great commercial and manufacturing interests of this city con- 
tinue with comparatively little decrease in the volume of their business 
during the entire year. 

The banks of Atlanta showed their strength and gave great relief to the 
surrounding country in August, 1893, when, by request of the Chamber of 
Commerce, reflecting the wishes of commercial and manufacturing interests, 
they issued $90,000 of clearing-house certificates. Within the next sixty 
days they issued $37,000 more, making a total of $127,000. The^e obliga- 
tions were accepted by the merchants and the public and circulated through 
the surrounding country until November 6th, 1893, when they were called 
in by the clearing-house. At the time when these certificates were issued, 
the cotton season was about to open and the dearth of currency made it 
almost impossible to move the crop. Had the harvesting of cotton and the 
resulting payments been long delayed, great disaster would have been 
precipitated. The issuance of clearing-house certificates gave immediate 
relief, restored confidence, and prevented the embarrassment which had 
threatened the cotton movement. 

The capital of the clearing-house banks amounts to $1,860,000, and the 
surplus to $1,000,000. The chartered and private banks outside the clear- 
ing-house increase the banking capital, including surplus, to $3,500,000. 
The bank clearings and deposits of the associated banks of Atlanta for five 
years appear below : 

CLEARING HOUSE STATISTICS. 

1893 $60,753,911 13 

1894 56,589,228 04 

1895 ........: 65,318,254 71 

1896 69,026,033 17 

1897 72,005,161 52 

Smallest day, August 25th, 1893 62,070 75 

Largest day, Januarv 8th, 1897 544,218 11 

Smallest week ended August 26th, 1893 450,920 86 

Largest week ended .January 9th, 1897 2,187,084 81 

Smallest month, August, 1893 , 2,616,990 06 

Largest month, December, 1897 8,425,536 78 

DEPOSITS — WEEK ENDING NEAREST TO 

December 1, 1893 3,977,930 98 

December 1, l^9i 4,779,640 99 

December 1, 1895 6,672,006 87 

December 1, 1896 5,957,634 51 

December 1, 1897 6,385,336 51 



Banking and Insurance. 



47 




OFFICE OF THE LOWRY BANKING CO. 



The first meeting of banks for the purpose of organizing a clearing-house 
occurred on the 15th of September, 1891, and articles of agreement for the 
establishment of the clearing house were entered into on September 22, 
1891. The first book records of the business began on April 7, 1892, and 
the clearings the first six days of that record were $1,368,637.09. There are 
no records of the clearings previous to that date. The banks officiated as 
managers alternately for two weeks at a time until August, 1893, when the 
present manager was elected, and rooms were provided for the clearing- 
house. 

The first President was Mr. Paul Romare, and the following gentlemen 
have succeeded him in the order of their names : L. J. Hill, R. J. Lowry, 
• T. B. Neal, J. W. English, W. L. Peel, Frank Hawkins. Mr. Darwin G. Jones 
has been Manager from the time that the clearing-house issued certificates 
on August 18, 1893. Captain R. J. Lowry was President during the panic 
of that year, and the clearing-house certificates were issued during his ad- 
ministration. 



Insurance. 

Atlanta is the third largest insurance center in the United States, only 
ranked by New York and Chicago. This city is headquarters for the South- 
ern or State agencies of sixteen of the largest fire and twenty of the most 
important life insurance companies. The deposits of premiums in Atlanta 
banks exceed $6,000,000. In life insurance, a careful canvass of the agen- 
cies shows deposits of $3,241,000 for the year 1897. The reports to the Comp- 
troller-General of the State for life and accident insurance written in Geor- 
gia during the fiscal year ending October 1, 1897, with such changes as the 
location of agencies and the difference in months would suggest, indicate 



48 



Banking and Insurance. 



that the amount of premiums deposited in Atlanta by life insurance agen- 
cies was, approximately, $3,200,000 during 1897. 

More than 200 men are employed by the insurance agencies in Atlanta. 
In fire insurance there are 115 clerks, besides forty-six general or special 
agents, who travel throughout the Southern States, making Atlanta their 
headquarters. The number of local agents of fire insurance companies re- 
porting to Atlanta agencies from points throughout the Southern States is 
3,531. The life insurance agencies of Atlanta employ seventy-five clerks 
and thirty traveling agents, and receive reports from 637 agents in this 
State. 

Atlanta is headquarters for the Southeastern Tariff Association, which 
makes rates for the States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida. 

Insurance money has built many of the handsomest business structures 
in Atlanta, and two of the principal office buildings bear the names of 
prominent companies. Several million dollars of insurance funds have 
been invested in Georgia and Atlanta bonds and in Atlanta real estate. 




'interior ATLANTA NATIONAL 'BANK. 



Postal R^eceipts- 





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"■■**^^ ""— 5 '?"'" - 



FEDERAL BUILDING — POST-OFFICE AND CUSTOM-HOUSE. 



TIHE postal re- 
ceipts of Atlan ■ 
ta aflford an excel- 
lent gauge for the 
volume of business 
done here. In the 
same way the re- 
ceipts of the States 
east of the Missis- 
sippi and south of 
the Ohio and Poto- 
mac rivers indicate 
the volume of bus- 
iness in the terri- 
tor}'' of Atlanta's 
trade. This terri- 
tory contributes to 
the revenue of the 
Postoffice Depart- 
ment, in round numbers, $8,338,000, indicating that these States do about 
one-tenth of the postal business of the United States. 

Atlanta's place in the business of this region appears by a comparison of 
her postal receipts with those of other cities and those of Georgia and other 
Southeastern States. The receipts at Atlanta for the fiscal year ending 
June 30th, 1897, were $265,091.70, and those for the State of Georgia were 
$1,085/573.63. Thus it will be seen that Atlanta does about one-fourth of 
the postal business of Georgia. Compared with the largest cities of the 
United States Atlanta ranks twenty-seventh, and compared with the princi- 
pal Southern cities Atlanta ranks third in the volume of her postal receipts, 
which are only exceeded by those at Louisville and New Orleans. A com 
parison of business with that of other principal Georgia cities shows that 
Atlanta's postal receipts about equal those of Savannah, Macon, Augusta, 
Columbus and Rome combined, and lack only a few thousand dollars of 
equaling the combined receipts of Nashville and Chattanooga. 

A significant fact in connection with the business of the Atlanta postoffice 
is that it has shown a steady increase for every year since 1870, with the 
single exception of the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1894, when the general 
depression which prevailed throughout the United States caused a slight 
decrease. 

The Exposition period had a marked effect on the postal receipts, and 
for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1896, which includes the active period 



so 



Postal Receipts. 



of the Exposition, the increase was 17 per cent. During the construction 
period of the Exposition, which is covered by the fiscal year ending June 
30th, 1895, the increase in postal receipts was 12 per cent. For the entire 
period from 1870 to June 30th, 1897, the average annual increase in postal 
receipts at Atlanta was 8.6. An estimate for the fiscal year ending June 
80th, 1898, based upon the receipts up to date, indicates a business of 
S295,151.88, which is an increase of 10.2 per cent, over the receipts for the 
fiscal year ending June 30th, 1897. 

The money order business at Atlanta shows in a striking way the tribute 
of trade which the surrounding region pays to this city. The money orders 
received in Atlanta average about four times the amount of the money 
orders purchased here and sent away. For the fiscal year ending June 30th, 
1897, the money orders purchased in Atlanta amounted to $252,273.25, and 
those received and paid out here by the postoffice amounted to $1,026,855.69. 
This business is so continuous and so considerable that the postoffice has 
found it necessary to make a business connection with the Atlanta clearing- 
house for the purpose of making daily settlements with the banks of the 

city. 
The following tables give the above figures in detail : 



Comparative Receipts of the Atlanta Post- OtJiae for Fiscal Years 
Ending June 30th, f rum 1870 to 1897. 





Gross 
Receipts. 


Average 
Annual 
Percent. 


a 
'S 

HO 

Mo 

a 
to 
o 

0^ 


MONEY ORDER BUSINESS. 






II 

o 
a> 


A vera ere 
Annual 
Per cent. 


.SS o 


Average 
Annual 
Percent. 


YEARS. 


t 

% 

a 


9; 

u 
o 




o 

a 


OS 

2 

o 

0) 

Q 


t 
o 

c 


09 

a 

o 

Q 


1870 


835,128 73 
42,343 66 
59,409 09 
99,736 96 
159,262 61 
181,564 40 
194,801 00 
207,527 94 
201 ,649 92 
225,810 81 
265,277 03 
265.091 79 






33 
34 
2t 
31 
32 
32 
33 
33 
36 
34 
31 
32 


$ 64,. 321 61 






$ 81,125 02 

""eib.'sse'go" 






1875 


4,0 
8.2 
K.8 
10.8 
14.0 
7.3 
6.5 




"i:-;Vo' 




"es.'o 




1880 


150,750 49 




1885 








!890 
1891 





239,629 00 
242,156 82 
269,058 32 
240,944 60 
239,638 81 
219,785 98 
284,493 05 
252,273 25 

126,164 08 


5.9 

1 

11. 1 




839,340 97 
865,807 87 
810,971 8i 
790,984 .59 
867,632 81 
861,645 98 
1.000,626 77 
1,026,855 69 

514,575 16 


3.1 
3.2 




1892 




6.5 


1893 


11.0 
0.4 

8.4 




2.4 


1894 


3.5 

"oVi 




9.7 




1895 


12 
17.0 


0.7 


1896 


29.0 


16.1 
2.3 




1897 


11.4 










.July 1 to Dec. 
31, 1897. 


141,151 88 
154,000 00 




Jan. 1 to June 
30,1898, Esfed. 


10.2 












1898 


295,151 88 


32 















Average annual increase of gros.s receipts for entire period, 8.6 per cent. 



Postal Receipts, 



51 



The Postal Receipts of Atlanta Compared with Those of Five Other 

Cities of Georgia and Two of Tennessee, Shoivinf/ the Postal 

Receipts for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1897, 



CITIES. 


Gross 
Receipts. 


Receipts 


^ a D- 

04 




« 265,091 70 




32 




$ 108,848 75 
55,173 02 
54,632 91 
27,581 11 
16,240 81 


37 






4» 






54 




bi 


Rome 




58 






Total 


« 265,091 70 


262,476 60 




Nashville, Tean 


$ 194,448 87 
79,791 54 


36 


Chattanooga, Tenn 




42 




9 274,240 41 





The gross receipts of Atlanta are 24.3 per cent, of the entire receipts of Georgia, larger than the above 
five cities, and nearly as large as those of Nashville and Chattanooga combined. The average per cent. 
of expenses to receipts in foregoing cities is 45.1. In Atlanta it is 32 per cent. 



Comparative Receipts of South- 
eastern States for 1897. 



STATES. 



Rani:. Gross Receipts. 



Virginia 

Kentucky , 

Georgia 

Tennessee , 

Louisiana 

North Carolina, 

Alabama 

West Virginia. 

Mississippi 

Florida 

South Carolina 



81,147,138 32 
1,143,673 40 
1,085,573 63 
1,022,369 71 

744.082 98 
681,354 87 
622,275 75 

548.083 96 
492,313 54 
4:34,919 75 
418,045 23 



Comparative Receipts of South- 
ern Cities for 1897. 

One fkom Each State Having the Largest Re; 
CEiPTSiN TH4.T State. 



CITIES. 



'Rank. 



Louisville, Ky 

New Orleans, La.. 

Atlanta, lia 

Richmond, Va 

Nashville, Tenn 

Charleston, S. C 

Wheeling, West Va 
Jacksonville, Fla..., 

Mobile, Ala 

Wilmington, N. U. 
Vicksburg, Miss ... 



Gross Receipts. 






Transportation PaciUties. 



ATLANTA, occupying as it does a commanding position as the gate- 
way of the Southeast, enjoys transportation facilities equaled at few 
other centers in the South. Many years ago, when railroad building was 
in its infancy, far-seeing men predicted that Atlanta would be a great cen- 
ter, standing as it does at a point where railroads coming down the Atlantic 
coast would intersect with others from the West, Southwest and Southeast. 
These predictions have been fulfilled. The city has ten radiating lines, in- 
cluding five divisions of the Southern Railway and five independent lines, 
giving ample facilities for reaching any section of the United States. The 
time from New York is twenty-four hours, and from Chicago twenty-eight. 
Through sleepers come and go from each of these cities. A solid vestibuled 
train runs between Atlanta and New York and Atlanta and New Orleans, 
and there is a through sleeping-car service between Atlanta and Cincinnati, 
Atlanta and Jacksonville, and Atlanta and other Southern cities. 

The railroads are kept in fine physical condition and are in strong hands. 
Within the past year most of those which were in the hands of receivers 
have emerged from their difficulties, passing through the period of reor- 
ganization, and are now operated by concerns free from debt. At present 
only two per cent, of the railroads in Georgia are in the hands of receivers. 
This is a record hardly equaled by any State since the great panic of 1893, 
when a large proportion of the railroads in most of the States were in the 
hands of receivers. 

The people of Atlanta and surrounding towns enjoy a fine local service 
with very low commutation rates on monthly and quarterly tickets. The 
liberal policy of the roads running into Atlanta has built up a series of 
flourishing suburban towns, which cluster about this city for a distance of 
ten or twenty miles. Among these are such charming suburbs as College 
Park, Decatur, Hapeville, Oakland, East Point, Edgewood, Kirkwood and 



Transportaion Facilities 53 

Clarkston. These places are built up by people who do business in Atlanta 
and return every evening to their suburban homes. They use railroad 
tickets which amount to about the same as street-car fare, so that really the 
population of Atlanta is perhaps thirty per cent, greater than the official 
count. There are about 120,000 people who make their living here. These 
commutation tickets extend a distance of thirty to forty miles on several 
of the roads, and professional men who have offices in Atlanta and spend 
their working hours here reside in such flourishing towns as Newnan, Ma- 
rietta, Palmetto and Fairburn. 

The terminal facilities of the railroads at Atlanta, so far as freight is con- 
cerned, are first-class. The new depot and freight warehouse occupied by 
the Seaboard Air-Line and the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Rail- 
ways is one of the finest structures of its kind in the United States. The 
warehouse covers several acres and has a cement and concrete floor and a 
metal roof, supported by steel pedestals and heavy steel girders. The 
length is such that thirty-two drays can load at the same time on the street 
side, while a large number of cars are discharging or taking freight at the 
tracks on the railroad side. The metal walls next to the siding are port- 
able and suspended on rollers, so that sections can be moved from one 
place to another, and leave an opening at any point where a treight car 
may be stopped. This affords unusual facilities for loadng or unloading 
entire trains. 

The Southern Railway at its Peters street depot has ample warehouse and 
office room, and the Central and Atlanta and West Point freight depot on 
Mitchell street is both spacious and convenient. The Georgia Railroad 
freight depot is located on Loyd street, very near the heart of the city, and 
is easily accessible from the business center. 

A belt line partly encircles the city, extending from the Western and 
Atlantic Railway on the northwest to the Southern Railway on the north- 
east. Another connects the Western and Atlantic Railroad with the Sea- 
board Air Line, and the Central of Georgia Railway has under construction 
a belt line from East Point to the Western and Atlantic Railroad and the 
Seaboard Air Line. 

The union passenger depot is located in the heart of the city, within a 
few minutes' walk of the principal hotels, banks and business houses, and 
is easily accessible from any part of the city. The present station is not 
a pretentious structure, but plans are under consideration for a union pas- 
senger depot of a size and character in keeping Avith Atlanta's importance. 
Atlanta is a natural railroad center for the Southeast, and as such is 
headquarters for the Southeastern Freight Association and Southeastern 
Passenger Association, of which most of the roads in the States of Georgia, 
the Carolinas, Alabama and Florida are members. Among these are in- 
cluded such great systems as the Southern Raihvay, the Louisville and 
Nashville Railroad, the Plant System, the Florida Central and Peninsular 
Railway, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, the Central of Georgia 



54 



Transportation Facilities. 



the Georgia and Alabama, the Atlanta, Knoxville and Northern, and the 
Georgia Southern and Florida. These associations meet monthh' for the 
transaction of regular business, and important conferences for the settle- 
ment of differences between the railroads of the Southeast are held here. 

Another important auxiliary to the railroad service at Atlanta is the 
Southeastern Car Service Association, which has headquarters in this city. 
Through this organization an accurate account of the cars unloaded in the 
territory of Georgia, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina is kept, and the 
rules and regulations affecting car service, demurrage, etc., are here made 
and promulgated. 

The central position of Atlanta, and the fact that the district railroad 
organizations are located here, gives this city quite an advantage in the 
matter of rates and facilities. The Southern Railway, for example, occu- 
pies elaborate offices in the Equitable building, and an assistant general 
superintendent, an assistant general freight agent and an assistant general 
passenger agent of the system make this city their headquarters. 

Street RailwaA^S- 

THE facilities for rapid transit in and about Atlanta are unusual for a 
city of its size. There are three systems of electric lines, with ninety- 
four miles of track, reaching to every part of the city and suburbs, and 
extending in all directions for six or eight miles from the business center. 
The schedules are convenient — from ten to twenty minutes apart. On 
several of the longer lines the cars are heated by electricity. 

The Consolidated Street Railway Company has sixty-six miles of track 
and one hundred cars, and operates about fifty cars daily, employing 
between four and five hundred men. The annual pay-roll amounts to 
about $130,000. The capital stock of the company is $2,000,000, and the 
bonded debt includes $2,250,000 of first mortgage consolidated bonds and 
$106,000 of income bonds. The number of miles made by the cars per day 
is about six thousand. 

The Atlanta Railway Company has lines from the center of the city to 
Fort McPherson, Grant Park, Decatur and Lake wood Park, in all about 
twenty miles of track. The road is well equipped and in winter uses cars 
heated by electricity, with glass fenders for the protection of motormen. 
The schedules on the lines are ten or twenty minutes apart. 

The Collins Park and Belt Street Railway Company is a continuous line 
from the center of the city on Walton street, one block from the postoffice, 
to the Chattahoochee river, a distance of eight miles. Cars run on this line 
each way every half hour. 

Atlanta has three well equipped transfer companies — the Atlanta Baggage 
and Cab Company, the Atlanta Parcel, Baggage, Cab and Transfer Company 
and the Haas Transfer Company. 

The rate of fare for cabs is, by city ordinance, limited to twenty-five cents 
from the union passenger depot to any part of the city. The charge for 
trunks is also limited to 25 cents each. 




PUMPING STATION — ATLANTA WATERWORKS. 



Water and Ltgf)t. 



Tl)e gtlanta Watervorl^S. 

ATLANTA'S water supply is drawn from the Chattahoochee river, a 
stream whose sources are in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. It 
flows through a sparsely settled country to Atlanta, and there is little to 
contaminate it before reaching the pumping station, from which the city is 
supplied. Like the water of streams flowing through a red clay region, that 
of the Chattahoochee is discolored, but the particles of clay are easily pre- 
cipitated, and this is done by means of a settling basin, from which clear 
water is pumped into the city. In this way a supply of pure water, clear as 
crystal, is furnished all the year round regardless of the weather, and the 
small amount of discoloring matter, remaining after the !«ettling process, is 
removed by mechanical filtration at the pumping station. 

The waterworks plant is one of the finest in the country and has a pump- 
ing capacity of ten million gallons per day. As a precautionary measure, 
however, the pumping machinery and the princij)al mains are duplicated. 
Thus, in case of accident, the duplicate plant may be put in operation, or, in 
the event of extraordinary necessity, both plants may be put into operation 
at the same time, thus making the total pumping capacity twenty million 
gallons per day. The pumping station is located on the river eight miles 
from Atlanta above Peachtree creek, which is the only source of contamina- 
tion in the vicinity of Atlanta. 

The water is pumped from the river station to the settling basin, which 
is located on the outskirts of the city, about two miles from the business 



56 



Water and Light. 



center. This receptacle is a reservoir covering twenty-two acres of ground, 
with a capacity of thirty days' supply. The cit}'^ is on an elevation above 
the pumping station at the river, and the lift is five hundred feet. Most 
of this is covered between the river and the settling basin. By the pumps, 
located at the settling basin and filters, the direct pressure for the service 
pipes of the city and the fire pressure is applied. 

The pumpage into the city for 1896 was 1,814,963,500 gallons, and in 
1897 rose to 1,895,6J3,800 gallons. There has, therefore, been during the 
past year an average daily consumption of 5, 193,49;j gallons. There are 
7,176 supply connections and the per capita consumption of water is forty 
gallons per day for the entire population. 

The plant includes ninety-eight miles of mains, varying in diameter from 
three inches to forty-eight inches, and reaching over the most important 
streets of the city. The universal meter system is in use, and there are 
7,176 meters. The meter system has greatly reduced the waste of water 
and the economy so effected, together with the facilities given by the new 
plant erected in 1893, has enabled the city to supply water at remarkably 
low rates. For domestic use the charge is sixty cents for six thousand gal- 
lons, or ten cents per thousand gallons. Considering the expensive charac- 
ter of pumpage to overcome five hundred feet elevation, and the careful 
filtration, this cost is lower than in most other cities, and this retail price 
will be seen to be extremely reasonable. For manufacturers using water in 
great volume the rates are still lower, and a large cotton factory has found 
it practicable to use city water for bleaching purposes. All the water for 
manufacturing purposes is supplied by the city at greatly reduced rates. 

From a financial standpoint the Atlanta waterworks are a decided success. 
Besides supplying water for public buildings, fire department, flushing 
sewers and other purposes of public interest in a quantity estimated at a 
fair valuation to be worth $90,000 per annum, the plant supplies to private 
consumers water the receipts for which amounted to 192,484.32 in 1897. 

The growth of the city, including both the increasing population and 
the development of manufacturing interests, is indicated by the steady in- 
crease in the consumption of water, which has been as follows for the past 
twenty-two years : 



Receipts for water rents, 1876 

" 1,S77 

]878 . 

" " " " 1879 . 

" " " " 1880 

" " '• '• 1881 . 

" 1882, 

" " '■' " 1883 

" " •' " 1884 

" " " " 1885 

" " " 1886 , 

" " " " 1887 . 



5,700 15 
10,217 55 
17,638 81 
21,258 76 
24,637 47 
27,333 68 
27,414 98 
31,010 26 
35,763 95 
39,283 33 
.32,751 48 
38,066 95 



Receipts for water rents, 18S8 

" 1889 

" 1890 

" " 1891 

" " " " 1892 

'• 1893 , 

" 1894 

" " " " 1895 . 

" 1896 

" " " 1897 . 



38,286 35 
56,369 50 
63,438 97 
74,431 90 
79,695 61 
81,822 71 
65,452 61 
73,562 83 
86,339 39 
92,484 32 



Total 11,019,960 59 



The total receipts from the waterworks for twenty-two years has been 
$1,019,960.59. The statement of the president of the water board gives the 
cash income from water rents for 1897 at $92,484.32, and the value of public 
water service: at $91,550.00, making a total output of water in dollars of 



Water and Light. 



57 




INTERU.IR PUMPINt; STATION ATLANTA WATERWORKS. 



t,034.32. This sum exceeds the total expense account and interest on 
water bonds by more than $oo,000.00. This income will very largely in- 
crease by the extension of mains to be made in 1898 and subsequent years, 
and it is estimated that the margin of profit to the city will continue to in- 
crease. The net cost of the plant to date, by estimate of the superintendent 
as quoted in the report of the president of the water board, is $736, 437. 69. 
This includes the total cost of a former plant, which has been abandoned, 
and the magnificent new plant which was erected in 1893, allowing for the 
net return which the city has derived from the property in the meantime. 
In addition to the private service the public service includes 1,047 fire hy- 
drants, seventy five flush tanks for sewers, automatic sprinklers in thirt}'- 
one manufacturing establishments, water service in twenty-one public 
schools and a number of drinking hydrant? scattered throughout the city, 
besides concessions to the churches and the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
tion, the county barracks, the police barrack-, the Grady Hospital, the 
public park'^, the county jail and several orphan asylums and other charit- 
able institutions, to say nothing of the cjurt-house, cemetery and street 
sprinkling. 

A great advantage of the waterworks system in Atlanta is the free con_ 
nection with automatic sprinklers, in factories and business houses. By 
this system the insurance rate has been reduced forty per cent, without cost 
to the concerns using the sprinklers beyond the expense of putting in the 
pipes and equipment. The city pressure is always on the pipes of these 
automatic sprinklers, and the fusible valves insure a flood of water in case 
of fire. The efficiency of this protection has been thoroughly demonstrated 



58 



Water and Light. 



by recent instances in this city, justifying the forty per cent, reduction by 
the insurance companies. 

Electric I5igl)t and Power. 

THE electric light and power service in Atlanta is first-class. The 
Georgia Electric Light Company, which furnishes all the electric light 
and power facilities in the city, was organized in 1891, and Atlanta is in- 
debted to the enterprise and energy of this company for a first-class modern 
electric light and power system. 

This company does all the street lighting and furnishes a 24-hour incan- 
•descant light and motor service. It has installed at present in the street 
lighting service 626 2,000-candle-power arc lights, burning all night 
find every night, 507 75-candle-power incandescent lamps, burning all 
night and every night. 

The commercial lighting consists of 23,050 16-candle-power incandescent 
lamps, supplied to 624 customers. 

The motor service amounts to 1,500-horse power, in motors, supplied to 
177 customers. There are 74 commercial arc lights, supplied to 32 cus- 
tomers. 

The kilo-watt output of the company for the year 1<'96 was in round 
numbers 4,500,000 kilo-watts, and for 1897 was about 5,000,000 kilo-watts. 

The company has spent on its property in round numbers 8900,000, and 
■supplies light and power to almost every line of industry in Atlanta. It 
is furnishing light and power at the 
following rates: Incandescent 
lights, 12 cents per 1,000 watt hours, 
•with discounts from 10 per cent, to 
40 per cent., according to amount 
■of current used. Motive power, 7 
<;ents per 1,000-watt hours, with dis 
counts from 10 per cent, to 40 per 
cent, on all motors up to 10 horse 
power, and from 10 per cent, to 70 




POWER STATION — GEORGIA ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. 



Water and Light. 



59 




DYNAMO ROOM — GFORGIA ELECTRIC LIGHT C( 



per cent, on all above 10-horse power. Alternating arc lamps, 6 cents per 
lamp hour, with discounts from 15 percent, to GO per cent. , according to 
amount of current used. Commercial arc lights, from dark until 11:00 
o'clock, S9.88 per month, 10 per cent, discount; commercial arc lamps 
all night, $11.25 per month, 10 per cent, discount. Commercial series, 32 
c.-p., $1.88 per month, 10 per cent, discount; commercial series, 65-c.-p. 
$3.75 per month, 10 per cent, discount. City arc lamps, $7.08^, iiet, per 
lamp per month ; city arc series, $2.91f, net, per lamp per month. 

No mone}^ has been spared in bringing the service up to date. The 
plant is modern and complete and is managed by the best practices pre- 
vailing in the business. The sj'stem is one that any citizen of Atlanta can 
be proud of and can point out to strangers with satisfaction. The develop- 
ment of this company has played an important part in the growth of the 
city. It employs between 75 and 100 men, most of this skilled labor of the 
highest type. Every director of the company is a resident of Atlanta, and 
they are all men whose names are synonymous with the success and 
growth of the city. 

The magnificent central power station of the company is located on 
Thurmond and Simpson streets, about a mile from the center of the city, 
and is worth a visit. Here all the latest types of electrical apparatus may 



6o Water and Light. 



be seen. The steam plant consists of six engines, aggregating 4,000-horse 
power. There are installed thirty-three dynamos, including all the latest 
types. The company is now installing its seventh engine of a maximum 
of l,oOO-horse power. This engine will be directly connected to a 700 kilo- 
watt G.-E. power generator. This unit will probably be the largest and finest 
in the South. 

Ivigl)t and Pael (las. 

THE Atlanta Gas Works are the largest in the South, and the consump- 
tion exceeds that of New Orleans. This is due to the low price and 
the extensive use of gas for cooking purposes. Atlanta was the first city to 
have dollar gas, and for years that has been the price. The quality for both 
illuminating and cooking purposes is excellent and gives general satisfac- 
tion. 

There are one hundred miles of mains, and of the six thousand custom- 
ers about four thousand are in the residence parts of the city. Three-fourths 
of the households using gas use it in cooking. There are three thousand 
gas ranges, besides hot-plates and gas-heating stoves. 

The total consumption is 250,000,000 cubic feet per annum, and the works 
employ two hundred men. Their growth has been interesting. 

Work on the Atlanta Gas Light Company's plant was begun in the year 
1855, the first holder being twenty feet in diameter by eighteen feet high. 
The last holder erected is one hundred and twenty-five feet in diameter and 
one hundred and forty feet high. The first illumination of the city by 
gas was on Christmas eve in 1855, and a ball was given by the Atlanta Fire 
Company, No. 1, at Concert Hall, which was lighted by gas. 

The first main laid was a six-inch pipe on Marietta street to Peachtree, a 
3-inch main running from this out Decatur street as far as Loyd street. A 
main was also laid on Whitehall street as far as Mitchell. 

The works continued in operation during the war until the bombard- 
ment of Atlanta in July, 1864, when the holder was partly destroyed by 
shells. Joseph Warner, who was superintendent at that time, was killed 
by a shot from the Federal army. The works were started again about 
December, 1865. 

The earliest manufacture of gas was from rosin purchased in South 
Georgia. During the war pine knots, rosin and pitch were used in making 
gas. 

The first office was in a frame building called Tomlinson and Barnes^ 
store, at the corner of Wall and Whitehall streets, the site now occupied by 
the Centennial building. It was four or five feet above the ground, and 
entered by a flight of wooden steps. 

At the reorganization of the company after the war J. M. Duncan was 
elected president and J. H. Mecaslin secretary. In 1877 Mr. T. G. Healey 
was elected president. On the death of Mr. Healey in 1897 J. H. Mecaslin 
was elected president and W. L. Cosgrove secretary. These gentlemen are 



Water and Light. 



6i 



the present officers of the company. The Board of Directors is composed 
of J. H. Mecaslin, R. J. Lowry, Edward C. Peters, Randal Morgan and 
George S. Philler. 

Among the earliest stockholders of the company were the City of At- 
lanta, owning one-third, E. Holland, Wm. Helme, J. C. White, Wm. Kidd, 
John and James Lynch, Simeon Frankford, Wm. Barnes, John S. Cook, 
T. M. Clark, Wm. Herring and John Bale. 




THE LARGKST GAS TANK IN THE SOUTH. 




ATLANTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 



Cf)attiber of Commerce. 



DURING the thirty years of their existence, the Chamber of Commerce 
and its predecessor, the Board of Trade, have been active in protect- 
ing and promoting the interests of Atlanta. Meetings in the public interest 
have usually been called at the Chamber of Commerce, and it was there 
that the first meeting to organize the Cotton States and International 
Exposition was held. All important questions affecting business have 
been discussed there, and a score or so of standing committees have been 
constituted by the chamber to look after the interests of Atlanta. The 
Chamber of Commerce is the open forum for the discussion of all matters 
which affect the general welfare of the community, and in this way the 
organization has exerted a powerful influence. Within the past season it 
originated the movement for national quarantine which was unanimously 
indorsed by the National Board of Trade. 

It has participated regularly in the national conventions for the consid- 
eration of commercial questions, and its representatives have had an 
important part in all such councils. 

The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce is the outgrowth of the Board of 
Trade, which was organized when the city was just emerging from the ashes 
of war. Sometime in the year 1866 a score of the leading men of the place 
met in Mr. R. M. Clarke's office, on Whitehall street. Among the firms 
represented were Glenn, Wright & Carr, Bell, Moore & Co., A. K. Seago, 
W. R. Phillips & Co., Henderson, Chisolm & Co., R. M. McPherson, W. M. 
& R. J. Lowry, W. .J. Garrett, A. C. & B. F. Wyly, Langston, Crane & 
Hammock, Darwin G. Clark and James R. Wylie. Mr. R. M. Clarke was 
elected president, Mr. J. S. Peterson secretary, and Mr. Perino Brown treas- 
urer. 

In a short time Mr. Clarke was succeeded as president by Mr.W. M. Lowry, 
who remained at the head of the Board of Trade until 1871. At that time 
daily meetings were held and the membership numbered forty or fifty. 

In July, 1871, there was a reorganization and Major Benjamin E. Crane 
was elected president and Mr. M. E. Cooper secretary. For several years 
there were daily meetings at 11 o'clock a. m. for the quotation of prices of 
staple articles of trade, and for the consideration of other business. In 
1883 it was realized that a more elaborate organization, with more liberal 
support and a more permanent home, was necessary, and, after mature 
consideration as the result of a reorganization, the Chamber of Commerce 
began its career. This was followed by the erection of the present Chamber 
of Commerce building and the enlargement of the membership to 206. 
The ground, 52ixl2o feet, was bought for $13,340, and the architects'" 



64 Chamber of Commerce. 

estimate of the cost of the building was |;)6,r)()(). Tlie chamber issued $40,- 
000 of bonds and the work of construction went on. The bonded debt has 
since been reduced to $2G,0U0. 

The first meeting of the Chamber of Commerce in the new building was 
held on January IGth, 188"), an occasion saddened by the death of Major 
Benjamin Crane, the president of the chamber. 

Major Crane was succeeded as president by Captain R. J. Lowry, presi- 
dent of the Lowry Banking Company, during whose term Mr. M. M. Welch 
was secretary. Captain Lowry was succeeded by Mr. J. G. Oglesby, during 
whose administration the chamber was especially active in promoting the 
interests of the cit3\ He declined re-election at the'expiration of his term, 
and in July 189^! ex-Governor R. B. Bullock was elected president of the 
Cliamber. He remained in office during the two years including the great 
panic of 1893 and declined re-election at the end of the second term. 

Governor Bullock was succeeded by Mr. Stewart F. Woodson, who was 
President of the chamber during the Cotton States and International Exposi- 
tion. During that period the Chamber of Commerce was a host to the score or 
more of visiting commercial bodies that came to Atlanta during the fair. 
On the occasion of the reception of the Liberty bell, the Chamber of Com. 
merce joined the city of Atlanta in preparations for the event. 

In 189() Mr. Woodson declined re-election and Mr. T. B. Neal, president 
of the Neal Loan and Banking Co., was made president of the Chamber of 
Commerce. A few months ago it was determined to start a new movement 
for the promotion of Atlanta's business interests, and preliminary steps 
were taken to organize a merchants' and manufacturers' association. After 
joint consideration of those in and outside the chamber, it was decided 
best to make the move within the organization of the Chamber of Com- 
merce, and to enlarge and popularize the organization by temporarily 
reducing the initiation fee to a nominal amount. This was done until Jan- 
uary 1st, 1898, and the list of members grew to 300. 

Coincident with this change in the Chamber of Commerce, designed to 
bring in new blood, came the inauguration of a series of dinner-discussions 
for the consideration of important public questions. These dinners occur 
bi-monthly and the discussions following have been notable events, attract- 
ing the attention of business men in all parts of the country. It is 
expected that these discussions will, within the coming year, set in motion 
currents of thought and investigation that will go far to hasten the develop- 
ment of the Southern States. 



Office 5^tlding5. 




ATLANTA'S of- 
fice buildings, 
of which the most 
notable have been 
erected within the 
past seven years, give 
a physical expression 
of her business 
growth. Within that 
period a great many 
concerns, which had 
headquarters at other 
Southern cities, mov- 
ed to Atlanta. The 
Equitable Building 
has a population of 
1,000, and the daily 
entrance and exit of 
business men will 
average several times 
that number. The 
Equitable, the Aus- 
tell Building (just 
completed), the Pru- 
dential^ Building (in 
process of erection), 
and the English- 
American Loan and 
Trust C o m p a n y's 
Building, will have a 
population of 3,500 
to 4,000 souls. These four buildings will accommodate as many people as 
usually reside in a good-sized town. In addition to these buildings there 
are others like the Lovvnes Building, Temple Court, the Grand, the Gould 
Building, the Inman Building, the Kiser Building, the Fitten Building, 
the Hirsch Building and the Norcross Building, which are headquarters 
for a thousand or so of business men. 

A decided improvement has been made in the character of office build- 
ings, and instead of the old style brick and wooden structures, the more 
prominent buildings are steel-framed, fire-proof edifices of the most ap- 
proved modern types. The following descriptions of the four principal of- 



THE El^lUITAHI.E BUIl.DINC, 



66 



Office Buildings. 



fice buildings will give some idea of the character of construction, interior 
finish, and the money invested in these great edifices : 

The Equitable Building has eight stories and a basement, making a total 
height of 120 feet from the sidewalk. It fronts 160 feet on North Pryor 
street and 185 on Edgewood avenue, and covers a lot containing 21,000 
square feet. The materials used in its construction are incombustible. 
The first story of the exterior is constructed with Georgia marble columns 
three feet in diameter The chief materials in the upper stories are buff 
brick and terra cotta. The interior is constructed principally of wrought 
steel columns, rolled steel beams and hollow tile fire-proofing. All of the 
interior construction depends upon the steel columns and beams which are 
thoroughly protected from possible heat by inclosure in burnt fire clay, and 
separated from the metal b}' air spaces. The building is finished largely 
with natural oak and Georgia and Italian marble. It is equipped with 
four fast passenger elevators, has its own electric light plant, and is a, 
strictly up-to-date fire-proof office building, not excelled anywhere. It cost 
above $600,000, contains 285 rooms, and was completed five years ago, since 
which time the number of vacant rooms has not averaged one dozen. 
There are about 160 tenants, by whom something like 800 people are em- 
ployed. 

The Prudential Building, now in process of erection, is a modern fire-proof 

t e n-s tory office 
building of i n d e- 
pendent steel con- 
struction. It has a 
frontage of eighty- 
five feet on Broad 
street, one hundred 
and seventy-eight on 
AValton, eighty-eight 
feet on Forsyth and 
one hundred and 
s e V e n t y-eight on 
Custom House Place, 
covering an entire 
block. The first 
three stories are of 
Bedford limestone 
and gray brick, and 
above this are five 
stories of plain wall 
surface, which sup- 
ports the enriched 
pilasters and cor- 
nices of the two 

THE PRUDENTIAL BUILDING. 




Office Buildings. 



^1 




THK AUSTELL BUILDING. 



stories above. The three principal entrances are of limestone, beautifully 
carved. These entrances are from Broad, Walton and Forsyth streets, and 
a fourth from Custom House Place affords access for freight and employees. 
The first story is arranged for banking purposes and stores, and an arcade 
runs through the building lengthwise from Broad to Forsyth street, giving 
a double frontage for the stores, which have plate glass show-windows ou 
Walton street and on the arcade. From the second to the tenth story the 
space is divided into ofl&ces, which are finished in hardwood and furnished 
with marble lavatories, plate-glass windows and every convenience. 

The Austell Building is located on the Forsyth street viaduct and 
fronts on Forsyth street under the viaduct. It is nine stories high, of modern 
steel and fireproof construction, and is almost altogether of home or local 
production, having been designed by Atlanta architects, built by Atlanta 
contractors, with material furnished generally by Georgia manufacturers 
and producers, and with labor done by home mechanics. 

It is equal to the best office buildings in its arrangements and con- 
veniences, and has two hundred and six large, well-lighted and well-venti- 
lated office rooms, besides stores on both the viaduct and the street below. 
The building is heated throughout by steam, lighted with electricity from 
its own plant, and has three elevators from basement to roof. The halls, 



68 



Office Buildings. 



corridors and stairways are finished in Georgia marble, with mosaic floors. 
The fireproof floor-arches an 1 partitions, of which there are 3,400 tons, is 
the first fireproofing made in the State. The building, in both exterior 
appearance and interior finish and arrangements, would do credit to any 
city. The cost of the structure wa^ a little more than $300 000. 

The English-American Loan and Trust Company's Building is a 
modern, fireproof, twelve-story structure, and occupies the whole of a tri- 
angular block at the junction of Broad and Peachtree streets, with a front- 
age of 148 feet on Peachtree, 136 feet on Broad street and 60^ feet on Pop- 
lar street. The area of the site is 4,192 square feet, and the ten floors de- 
voted to offices have 32,'230 square feet in rooms, besides the space taken 

up by corridors, eleva- 
tors, etc. In addition 
to this, the ground-floor 
has 3,707 feet of space 
divided into stores, and 
under it there is a base- 
ment of the same size. 
There are 130 offices, and 
the population of the 
building will be about 
400 when it is fully oc- 
cupied. The main en- 
trances are on Peachtree 
and Broad streets. The 
elevators and stairways 
ascend from the center 
of the building, and 
every office faces the 
street and has ample 
light and air. The build- 
ing is of iron and steel 
skeleton construction, 
with lower walls of mas- 
sive freestone blocks and 
superstructure of gray 
brick. The steel is of 
the best open-hearth 
make, which affords the 
greatest degree of elastic- 
ity and tensile strength. 
The outside of the frame- 
w o r k is covered with 
best quality of selected 

THE ENGLISH -AMERICAN LOAN AND TRUST CO.'s BUILDING. Indiana limCStOnC. 




(Atlanta's Dath^ Nev^paper^. 




E 



NTERPRIS- 

ing nevvspi- 
pers have much to 
do with the growth 
of any community, 
and this is especial- 
ly true of Atlanta. 
For twenty years the 
daily newspapers of 
Atlanta have led the 
van of the Southern 
press and have had 
much to do with the 
development of the 
surrounding coun- 
try. There are three 
daily newspapers in. 
Atlanta, The Consti- 
tution, which is tha- 
morning paper, T/ie- 
Journal, which is the- 
most important eve- 
ning newspaper in 
the Southern States,. 
and The Co in mere ud,. 
which is a sprightly 
afternoon d a i 1 y. 
The Atlanta Consti- 
tution has an inter- 
esting history, and 
has been the means 
of bringing into prominence several men of national reputation. It was 
on this paper that Henry W. Grady did his great work It is unnecessary 
to speak of his career, for it is known to the whole country. In his 
hands The Comtitution was especially powerful as a developer of the 
resources of the Piedmont region, as well as a strong factor in 
politics. Grady's genius has left its impress on the literary circles 



THE CONSTITUTION BUILDING. 



70 



Atlanta's Daily Newspapers. 



of the city, and The Constitution under its present management is 
one of the leading morning papers of the country. Other writers of 
national reputation who have developed on this paper are Joel Chandler 
Harris, whose stories are read in every English speaking country, and 
Frank L. Stanton, whose verse is probably' more generally quoted and read 
than that of any poet now writing for the American newspaper press. 

The Evening Journal fills a unique field, somewhat broader than that 
usually occupied by evening newspapers. It is an enterprising newspaper 
of large circulation, and has been a powerful factor in the politics not only 
of this State, but of the entire country. It had much to do with bringing 
about the nomination of Grover Cleveland for presidet in 1892, and its 
principal owner, Mr. Hoke Smith, was selected by Mr. Cleveland as the 
man to represent Georgia in the cabinet. 

The Commercial is a younger paper than either of the other .two, but 
has already attracted attention by its pungent editorials and its indepen- 
dent spirit. 




ndacational Pacilitie^^. 




H E facilities 
for education 
at Atlanta will com- 
pare favorably with 
those of any city of 
the same size, and 
in addition to an 
excellent system of 
grammar schools 
and high schools^ 
include several tech- 
nical schools, nota- 
bly the Georgia In- 
stitute of Technol 
ogy, which is abreast 
of its class. With 
these are several fine 
libraries. The 
Young Men's Libra- 
ry, containing 15,- 
000 volumes, unusually well selected, and the State Library, containing 
60,000 volumes, accessible to the public, besides the libraries in various 
schools and institutions, supplement the educational work of the schools. 
Atlanta is surrounded by educational suburbs, which have numerous 
institutions for higher education. Among these are the Southern Military 
College and the Southern Female College, located at College Park, a subur- 
ban town which was founded exclusively for the purpose of giving educa- 
tional advantages to the people in and about Atlanta. Both of these are 
flourishing schools, with high curriculums and strong faculties. The 
Agnes Scott Institute at Decatur, another suburb of Atlanta, has for a. 
number of years been in successful operation. It was founded by Mr. George 
W. Scott, of this city, a brother of the late Thomas Scott, for a long time 
president of the Pennsylvania railroad and formerly United States Senator 
from Pennsylvania. 

The Public Schools. 

Nothing shows the growth of Atlanta more clearly than that of the pub- 
lic school system. A comparative statement furnished by the superintend- 
ent shows that in a decade, between December Lst, 1S87, and December 



boys' high school. 



Educational ['""acilities 




GIRLS men SCIIOOI. 



1 st ISUy, thf system grew 
as follows : 

Two new high schools 
iiave l)een built and the 
number of teachers has 
increased from U to 19. 
Instead of 7 white gram- 
mar schools, there are 18, 
and the number of teach- 
ers has increased from 
62 to 153. Instead of 3 
negro grammar schools, 
with 23 teachers, there 
are 5 with 40 teachers. 
The total number of 
schools has increased 
from 12 to 25 and the 
teachers from 91 to 212. 

The seating capacity 
in the high schools in 
1887 was 397. In 1897 
it is 781. In white gram- 
mar schools it has grown 
from 3,140 to 7,617, and 
The total seating capacity 



in negro grammar schools from 1,()14 to 2,002 
has increased from 5,151 to 10,400. 

The attendance has grown as follows : High schools from 250 to 646 ; 
white grammar schools, from 3,000 to 7,008 ; negro grammar schools, from 
1,000 to 2,999, and 
total attendance iWjk^\x^^,^ 
from 4,250 to 10,653. ^^f^^^ '"^ t^' 

The average per 
cent, of attendance 
has improved, and 
instead of being 93 
76-100 per cent., is 
97 12-100 per cent. 

The total expen 
ditures for 1887 were 
$61,657.75. In 1896 
they were $198,747.- 
98. The amount 
received from the 
State school fund by 




KDCKWOOI) AVENl'K CRAiMMAK SCHOOI. 



Educational Facilities. 



73 




THE SOUTHERN FEMALE COLLEGE. 



Atlanta in 1897 was $31,20G. The remainder of the amount expended 
was raised by local taxation and appropriated by the city council. 

The efficiency of the teaching corps is maintained by normal exercises 
held under the direction of the Superintendent every Saturday. These 
exercises are allotted to different teachers for different weeks, so that there 
is a separate class for every Saturday. The system is controlled by a board 
of education elected by the general council of the city, and this has for 
years been filled by men eminent in their respective pursuits. At present 
the board is presided over by Hon. Hoke Smith, ex-Secretary of the Inte- 
rior. 



The Southern Fetnale College. 

The Southern Female College is located at College Park, an ideal resi- 
dence and educational suburb founded seven years ago. This institution 
is the nucleus around which the community grew up, and is one of the 
most successful female colleges in the South. It has a faculty of thirty 
teachers, and there are three courses of study : a college of liberal arts, a 
school of fine arts and a school of practical arts. The college of liberal 
arts embraces ten schools, including eight languages and the various 
branches of natural science, with courses in literature and belles-lettres. The 
schools of fine arts and practical arts embrace the subjects which their 
names indicate. In fine arts the institution is famous, especially for its 
musical department, which includes instruction in vocal music and on the 
piano, organ, harp, violin, violincello and double bass, guitar, cornet, clario- 
net, flute, etc. With these come instruction in harmony, the theory and 
history of music, with elocution, penmanship, drawing and painting. A 
special feature of the musical department is a ladies' orchestra, consisting 



74 Educational Facilities. 

of thirty-two pieces. They render in artistic style difficult selections from 
the masters, and for twenty-five years have delighted critical audiences. 
Their Southern tours and later renditions at the Atlanta Exposition and 
elsewhere have attracted wide attention. 

The school of practical arts includes seven branches, such as dressmak- 
ing, cooking, bookkeeping, typewriting and stenography. 

In connection with this school there is normal instruction for pupils who 
desire to make teaching their profession. 

The attendance is large, and at times has included two hundred students 
from a distance, besides local pupils. The institution draws its patronage 
from Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Missis- 
sippi, Texas, Missouri, West Virginia, New York, Cuba and Mexico. 

The location is a commanding eminence on a thirty-acre campus, which 
has a frontage of one thousand feet on the Atlanta and West Point Rail- 
road. The site of the college building is thirteen hundred feet above the 
sea level, two hundred feet higher than the highest portions of Atlanta. 

The college building is the largest in Georgia, and one of the largest in 
the Southern States. It is a four-story structure of brick and stone, two 
hundred and forty feet long, one hundred feet wide at the ends and one 
hundred and forty feet wide at the center, with a dome rising above the 
fourth floor. A passenger elevator gives quick and easy access to the upper 
stories, and the entire building is equipped with water pipes and electric 
lights. There are a spacious chapel, a commodious librar}^ of five thousand 
volumes, a museum with eight thousand natural history specimens, and 
well equipped chemical and physical laboratories. The musical equipment 
includes a large pipe organ and forty-six pianos, and the art studios are 
furnished with statuary, casts and models. This institution has its own 
waterworks, and its electric light and steam-heating plants, and the clock 
in the tower not only strikes the hours, but rings the changes for recita- 
tions on electric bells in the recitation rooms. The college is connected by 
telephone with Atlanta, and a convenient schedule gives opportunity for 
attendance upon the lectures of the Atlanta Lyceum Association and other 
events of educational value in the city. 

The Agues Scott Institute. 

The Agnes Scott Institute is located at Decatur, one of the most charm- 
ing of Atlanta's suburbs. The building is in the center of a five-acre cam- 
pus, in the midst of a grove of beautiful oaks. The structure is four stories 
high, of brick and marble, and well built throughout. It has telephonic 
connection with Atlanta, and is easily accessible by the Georgia Railroad 
and two electric lines from the city. The main building is 190x54 feet, 
and is heated by steam, furnished with electric lights, well ventilated and 
furnished with hot and cold water and all modern conveniences. The dor- 
mitory rooms are carpeted and finished in solid oak. The recitation rooms 



Educational Facilities. 



75 




THE AGNES SCOTT INSTITUTE. 



and chapel occup}^ the first floor and the upper stories constitute the dor- 
mitory. This institution was founded seven years ago by Colonel George W. 
Scott, of Atlanta., who named it in honor of his mother, Mrs. Agnes Scott. 
The buildings and grounds cost $120,000, and the institution is self-sus- 
taining. It draws its patronage of 230 students from the States of Geor- 
gia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Missis- 
sippi, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Illinois and Colorado, about one-fourth of 
them coming from States other than Georgia. The faculty is composed of 
seventeen teachers, and the curriculum compares favorably with that of 
similar institutions. The work done is thorough, and the reputation of 
the institution has steadily grown since its foundation. 



The Washington Seminary. 

This institution, which occupies a handsome building at the corner of 
Walton and Fairlie streets, has in a comparatively few years attained an en- 
viable position, and its reputation for educational work of a high character 
is well established. In 1897 there were nineteen teachers and a total at- 
tendance of 195 students from Georgia and adjacent States. Several of the 
teachers are graduates of Vassar and Wellesley colleges, and others were ed- 
ucated in foreign schools of reputation. The course is divided into primary, 
intermediate and collegiate departments, with courses of study including 



76 



Educational Facilities. 




THE WASHINGTON SEMINARY. 



schools of English, 
English literature, 
mathematics, ancient 
languages, modern 
languages, science, his- 
tory, music, art and 
reading, oratory and 
physical culture. The 
principal, Mrs. W. T. 
Chandler, occupies the 
chair of French, mental 
and moral philosophy, 
history and art. Under 
her management the 
school has built up an 
enviable reputation. 
Its attendance is com- 
posed of the daugh- 
ters of the best fami- 
lies of Atlanta and 
other communities. 

The Southern Military College. 

The Southern Military College is located at College Park, within a short 
distance of the Southern Female College, and is intended to furnish for 
boys educational facilities similar to those afforded by the latter institution. 
The course includes the regular college curriculum, with a preparatory de- 
partment and grammar school in addition. The departments are as fol- 
lows : Collegiate, preparatory, grammar school, primary school, military 
■department, normal department, school of elocution and oratory, school of 

music, and commercial 
school. In the collegi- 
ate department there 
are classical, philo- 
sophical, scientific and 
literary courses. The 
faculty includes ten well 
equipped teachers, and 
the total attendance is 
129, principally from 
Georgia, with a few from 
Florida, Alabama, Mis- 
sissippi, New Jersey and 
New York, and two from 
South America. 

THE SOUTHERN Mil IIARV COLLEGE. 




Educational Facilities. 



71 



The Yomiff Men's Littrary. 

This institution was founded about thirty years ago, and has from the 
first filled a large sphere of usefulness. It was founded by private sub- 
scription, and owns 
property valued at 
about $60,000, of 
which apart is 
money at interest, 
the proceeds of 
which are used in 
the purchase of new 
books. The libra- 
ry building is on 
Marietta street, not 
far from the busi 
ness center. This 
in s t i t u ti o n has 
about 15,000 vol- 
umes, covering a 

wide range of literature. The book circulation is very large, and the read- 
ing rooms are frequented by members of reading clubs. A careful 
count is kept of the books of each class in circulation, and the selections of 
new books are made with a view to stimulate reading of the best class. A great 
improvement is noticeable in this respect within the past five years. For- 




THE YOUNG MENS LIBRARY. 




'IHE S TAI K I.IIIRAKY — KKADING RCOM. 



78 Educational Facilities. 



merly a very large proportion of the books read were novels. While stand- 
ard works of fiction are still largely read, there is a much greater demand 
for historical, biographical and scientific works. 

Auxiliary to this institution is a club organized by its directors, known 
as the Saturday Night Club, in which it is customary to debate questions 
of timely interest, usually topics before Congress or those in which the 
public mind is for the time especially interested. 

This institution carries on through appropriate committees several lines 
of important work, including university extension lectures, popular lec- 
tures and historical collections. Several years ago, by the co-operation of 
professors in the University of Georgia, a series of university extension 
lectures was given in the rooms of the Library, and the experiment was 
considered a success. It is expected that work on this line will be renewed 



at no distant day. 



The State Library. 



The State Library, occupying one of the handsomest public halls in the 
Capitol, is considered the best law library in the Southern States. It con- 
tains 65,000 volumes, of which about half are law books, and about half 
miscellaneous works and Government and State documents. The law 
library includes the Supreme Court reports of every State in the 
Union, with the Federal reports and the English and Irish reports, be- 
sides all the standard text-books and digests, and the statutes of the differ- 
ent States. 

There are comparatively few books in the line of general literature, but 
there are some historical works of great value, including the De Renne 
collection of works on Georgia and the Southeastern States, written in colo- 
nial times. The purchases of law books are under the supervision of 
the Supreme Court, and the law library is kept supplied with the latest 
editions of tha best books. 

The Georgia School of Technology. 

This school was founded in 1885 by a State appropriation of $()5,000, sup- 
plemented by a gift of $50,01)0 from Atlanta. Last year the State added a 
dormitory costing $15,000, and appropriated an additional sum for the elec- 
trical apparatus. The school is well equipped with scientific apparatus and 
has an especially strong department of electrical engineering. A movement 
is on foot to add a textile department, and a bill for an appropriation to 
that end recently passed the Georgia legislature. Adjacent to the academic 
structure is a well-appointed and well-equipped machine shop, in which 
wood-working and up-to-date machine work in iron, brass and other metals 
is regularly diDne by students, who divide their time between academic 
studies and work in the shop. The machine shop, in plant and equipment, 
was modeled after the Lowell Institute of Technology, and is one of the 
best of its kind. The standard in work and in teaching is high, and gradu- 



Educational Facilities. 



79 




THE GEORGIA SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY. 



ates of this institution are at no disadvantage in competition with those 
of the best technical schools of the country. A large majority of them are 
filling important and remunerative positions in the line of their training 

The school is supported by the State and is a branch of the University of 
Georgia. It receives an annual appropriation of $22,500 from the State and 
$2,500 from the city of Atlanta, and has an attendance of about 200. 

The school has seventy graduates engaged in engineering pursuits in 
this and other States. Most of them are superintendents of mills, machine 
shops or manufacturing enterprises of some kind. Several occupy profes- 
sorships in technical schools in other States. The graduates have ranked 
high as specialists, and have taken their place easily and quickly in the 
productive enterprises of the country. They are earning good salaries and 
doing fine work for the concerns with which they are engaged. 

The 3Iedical and Dental Colleges. 



Atlanta has fine facilities for the study of medicine, surgery and dentistry. 
There are three medical colleges whose aggregate attendance is something 
over 600 students. They have able faculties, and their relations with the 
Grady Hospital afford fine opportunities for clinical instruction. Each 
college has ample facilities for the study of anatomy, and subjects are pro- 
vided by the State law which authorizes the authorities of the Georgia pen- 
itentiar}^ to turn over to the medical colleges all unclaimed bodies of de- 
ceased convicts. These bodies are kept for sixty days in preserving fluid, 
and at the end of that time, if still unclaimed, are subjects for dissection. 

The Atlanta Medical College and the Southern Medical College are of 
the regular or allopathic school, and the Georgia College of Electic Medi- 



8o 



Educational Facilities. 




THE SOUTHERN MEDICAL COLLEGE. 



cine and Surgery is what its name indicates. Each of these institutions 
has a substantial building, and their .'acuities are composed of the ablest 
physicians in the city. 

The dental departments send out every year several score of graduates. 
The excellence of these colleges is evidenced by the fact that their at- 
tendance comes from all parts of the Southern States. 

The State Board of Medical Examiners has done much to elevate the 
standard of the medical profession in this State. No one can practice med- 
icine in Georgia without passing an examination by this board, which is 
composed of eminent physicians appointed by the Governor. A State 
Board of Dental Examiners has just been created by law- 



InstitQtion^ for tl)e Edacation of tl)e Negro. 

ATLANTA is making the most of the negro, and not only provides rudi- 
mentary education for colored children in public schools, but has six 
institutions of higher education elaborately equipped and liberally endowed. 
These are the Atlanta University, Spelman Seminary, Clark University, 
Gammon Theological Seminary, Mo]*ris Brown College and the Atlanta 
Baptist College. The Chancellor of the University of Georgia has 
repeatedly stated that in equipment and in faculty these institu- 
tions are fully equal, if not superior, to the University of Georgia and 
the other colleges for the education of white people. It is important to 
know that in two of these institutions the practical side of education re- 
ceives much attention. At Clark University and at Spelman Seminary 
negro men are taught various trades and negro women are trained, not 
only in all kinds of domestic economy, but as nurses for hospitals, etc. 



Educational Facilities. 



8i 




CLARK UNIVERSITY — WARREN HALL. 



Clark University. 

Early in the year 

1869 a primary 

school was opened 

in" Clark Chapel," 

on Fraser street, by 

Rev. James W. Lee 

and wife. The 

chapel, an ordinary 

wooden structure, 

has long since dis- 
appeared, and the 

ground on which it 

stood is occupied 

by tenement 

houses. The school 

thus started, proving a success, was adopted by the Freedmen's Aid Society,, 

and has been supported by that society up to date. In the course of its 

development the institution changed sites several times. 

A charter was secured in 1877, when the institution was named Clark 

University, in honor of Bishop D. W. Clark, who visited this section of 

country shortly af- 
ter the war, and or- 
ganized the South- 
ern CO n ferences. 
His library is now 
a part of the libra- 
ry of the school. 

On the 10th of 
February, 1880, 
the corner-stone of 
"Chrisman Hall" 
was laid, and Bish- 
op Matthew Simp- 
son delivered the 
address. This 
building was large 
ly the gift of Mrs. 
Eliza Chrisman, of 
Topeka, Kansas. 
"Warren Hall," the 
large dormitory for 
girls, was named 
for Bishop Henry 
W. Warren w h o- 




CLARK UNIVERSITY — CHRISMAN HALL. 



82 Educational Facilities. 



raised a considerable part of the funds to erect it. The entire credit 
must also be given to Bishoi) Warren for the establishment of the industrial 
plant in connection with the university. Beginning in narrow quarters, 
the industrial department soon found another friend in the person of Mr, 
Stephen Ballard, of Brooklyn, New York, who erected its main building, 
known as " Ballard Hall." The property of the school is valued at $400,000. 
Instruction has been given to about seven hundred students. Of these, 
twenty have been graduated from the college course, seventy-six from the 
normal and preparatory and twenty from the industrial. The large majority 
ofthe graduates are either teaching or preaching, while those from the indus- 
trial department are following the trades for which they fitted themselves. 

Tlie Atlanta University. 
The Atlanta University was incorporated in 1867 and opened in 1869. 
It is a Christian institution, unsectarian in its management, and wholly 
controlled by an independent board of trustees. It owns four large brick 
buildings, on sixty-five acres of land, one mile from the center of the city. 
It has a library of ten thousand volumes, apparatus and other equipment, 
the total value of the whole property being perhaps $250,000. The en- 
dowment is only about $33,000, most of which is for the purpose of aiding 
needy students. The attendance is about 300, all in the upper depart- 
ments, as the lower departments were dropped in 1894. The number of 
o-raduates is 317. These, with hundreds of past undergraduates, are 
engaged in teaching, in preaching, in business, and in other useful work 
in Georgia and surrounding States. 

Speltnan Seminary. 

Spelman Seminary, located within the city limits on a commanding em- 
inence, removed from the noise and bustle of business, is one of the most 
important of the institutions for the education of the negro at Atlanta. 
Under the presidency of Miss Hariet E. Giles it has obtained a high degree 
of efficiency. It has graduated a number of young women who are earn- 
ing lucrative salaries as trained nurses, and good wages in industrial pur- 
suits. The school for the training of nurses is one of the most important 
in this section. It is under the direction of graduates of the Nurse's Train- 
ing School of Illinois, and the Cook County Presbyterian Hospital of Chi- 
cago. The industrial department includes training in the best domestic 
work; cooking, housekeeping and sewing, and in printing and dressmaking. 
Training on these practical lines is accompanied by instruction in En- 
glish studies and by normal training for those who desire to become 
teachers. There are the usual academic and college courses, with an es- 
pecial training course for missionaries. The institution has 248 graduates 
in the different departments. 

Ganitnoii Theological Setninary. 
Gammon Theological Seminary was founded in 1883. Rev. W. P. Thir- 
kield, A.M., D.D., has been president from its opening till now. It has had 
remarkable growth, and is one of the strongest and best endowed institutions 



Educational Facilities. 



83 




THE ATLANTA UNIVERSITY. 



of its kind in the country. Its grounds and buildings are valued at $100,000 
and the library building contains over 11,000 volumes, constituting the finest 
theological library in the South. The endowment of the institution is 
fully $600,000, and its work is entirely theological. It has over 100 gradu- 
ates, holding prominent positions in the leading towns and cities of the South . 
The total attendance for the year 1896-97 was 8G, representing seventeen 
States and two foreign countries and 28 different colleges. 

T7ie Atlanta Baptist College. 

This institution was founded at Augusta, Georgia, in May, 1867, where 
it continued until the fall of 1879, when it was removed to Atlanta, incor- 
porated, and named the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. It continued to oper- 
ate under this name until the spring of 1897, when, in consequence of 




GAMMON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, 



84 



Educational Facilities. 



having dveloped into a college and graduating its first A. B. men, it was 
re-named the Atlanta Baptist College- 

The institution was established originally for the education of preachers 
and such teachers as could be profitably classed with them ; but in order to 
meet the growing demands of the colored people for educated men in other 
walks of life, its scope has been broadened and it trains men for teaching 
and for business as well as for the ministry. The courses taught are the En- 
glish preparatory, the teachers' professional course conjointly with Spelman 
Seminary, and the academic, collegiate and theological. 

The average yearly attendance is j50. Located at the corner of West 
Fair street at Chestnut, it owns fourteen acres of land, near the center of 
which stands a well-constructed building 170 feet long, and four stories 
high above the basement. The property is valued at $60,000, and the 
college has $25,000 of endowment. 

Morris Brown College. 

Morris Brown College was founded in 1880 by ministers of the African 
Methodist Episcopal Church and is the property of that denomination. In 
1881 the first building was begun, and within a 3'ear was completed. Ten 
years later another building was erected and the institution has attained a 
high degree of usefulness, with an extensive patronage. The attendance 
is 422 students, of whom IGTare male and 255 are female. 

The courses of instruction include theology and law, in addition to the 
usual academic studies. The cost of the building and grounds was about 
$30,000, and for a period of eighteen years the institution has been main- 
tained without an endowment. 

The work is divided into theological, law, collegiate, scientific, academic, 
normal, missionary, English, music and industrial departments. The 
faculty is composed of fourteen professors and teachers. The institution if 
controlled by a board of trustees elected by the three Georgia conferences of 
the African Methodist Episcopal Church. 




SPELMAN SEMINARY. 



ATLANTA HAI'TIST UNIVERSITY. 








M 



BROOKWOOD — A SUBURBAN RESIDENCE. 

Residential (Jd vantage*^. 

THE advantages of residence in Atlanta include many things which 
have attracted people from all parts of the United States, and these 
suhjects are appropriately treated at length in other chapters. Among 
them are the climatic advantages, the bracing air, the vinusual elevation, 
the undulating character of the country affording easy drainage, the fine 
sanitary system which supplements natural; advantages, police and fire 
departments of unusual efficiency, a waterworks system hardly equalled 
elsewhere in the South, superior educational facilities, strong fraternal, 
religious and social organizations, fine public libraries, magnificent theaters^ 
in which the best artists regularly appear, the Lyceum Bureau Courses and 
other lectures, enterprising daily newspapers which stand first in the South- 
ern States, rapid transit affording easy and quick access to the business cen- 
ter, the churches and the theaters from all parts of the city, a community 
of high-class merchants whose enterprise affords extraordinary facilities for 
shopping, and markets unsurpassed in the South, at which the best of vege- 
tables, meats, fish and game are regularly supplied at reasonable prices. 

With all these advantages is the distinctive spirit of the people, an orderly^ 
home-owning, hospitable people, inspired with an incomparable public 
spirit, which balks at no enterprise and welcomes every honest man, rich 
or poor, who comes to add his efforts to the energetic life of the community. 

A Cosmopolitan City. 

Atlanta is a cosmopolitan city, more so than any other in the Southern 
States. Almost every State in the North and West and every country of 
Europe is represented among the residents, and people from a distance find 
congenial companionship, no matter whence they come. The colored 
population composes about 40 per cent, of the whole, and consists almost 
entirely of working people. A few are preachers, teachers and professional 
men, with a sprinkling of lawyers and politicians. The negroes, as a rule 
do the domestic service, but within the past few years the number of white 



2,6 



Residential Advantages. 




RESIDENCE OF MR. WALKER P. INMAN. 



servants has largely in" 
creased, and it is not 
difficult to get efficient 
white help when this 
is desired. 

The negroes reside 
principally in the first, 
third and fourth wards, 
where they are almost 
entirely separate from 
the white population. 
There are separate 
schools for colored peo 
pie, and they have their 
own churches and as- 
sembly halls. There 
is seldom any friction between the two races and persons from a dis- 
tance who have been accustomed to regard the race problem as a 
vexed question, continually causing trouble, are astonished to see 
with what little jar and friction the two races live side by side in the 
same community, separate and distinct in their social life, but more or less 
thrown together in business. 

While the presence of a large body of negroes renders the per capita 
wealth of a community somewhat smaller than it would be in a city occu- 
pied wholly by white people, it is a notable fact that beggars in Atlanta 
:are very rare, more so than in cities of the same size in other States, where 
there is more wealth and a population almost entirely white. While the 
scale of wages is somewhat lower, there are comparatively few unemployed, 
and as the expense of living is considerably less than in colder States, there 
are few families with- 
out an abundance of 
the necessaries and a 
moiety of the comforts 
of life. 

The people are thrif- 
ty and have a habit of 
living within their in- 
comes. The bulk of 
the white population 
is composed of ele- 
ments which have, 
come from Georgia and 
surrounding States 
during the past thirty 
years. Very few adult 
citizens of Atlanta were residence of dr. a. w. calhoun. 




Resjdential Advantages. 



87 




RESIDENCE OF JUDGE HENRY B. TOMPKINS. 



born here and the popu- 
lation represents hirge- 
ly the enterprising ele- 
naents of other com- 
munities which have 
come to Atlanta for a 
larger field for effort. 
Blended with these 
sturdy contributions of 
the Southern States 
are others from every 
section of the country, 
and in almost every 
business or social gath- 
ering ofany extent 
half the States in the 
Union are represented. 

These diverse elements, composed of the best and most enterprising peo- 
ple from all parts of this and other countries, give to Atlanta that life and 
vigor which always results from the union of different strong individuals^ 
classes or races. Instead of producing friction and continual jar, as some 
might suppose, the very diversity of these elements gives the city that 
vigorous and progressive spirit which makes it easily first of all Southern 
communities in the race of progress. 

Law and Order. 

Atlanta is an orderly 
city and scenes of mob 
violence have never 
occurred here. There 
has never been a lynch- 
ing or a forcible rescue 
of prisoners, and the 
bloody scenes which 
have saddened the his- 
tory of other communi- 
ties are wholly absent 
from the records of 
Atlanta's life. The 
public order is to some 
extent due to the solu- 
tion of the problem of 
regulating the liquor 
traffic. After several 
hard-fought contests on 
THE governor's MANSION. this subjcct the citizcus 




88 



Residential Advantages. 




RESIDENCE OF MR. S. M, INMAN. 



have, by common con- 
sent, settled upon a sys- 
tem of control by high 
license, with limited 
hours of sale, and the 
prohibition of all 
screens in front of sa- 
loons. The license in 
Atlanta is fixed at $1,000 
per year, and this brings 
the sale of liquor into 
the hands of responsi- 
ble parties. They are 
by law prohibited from 
selling liquor after 10 
o'clock p. M., and on 
election days and legal 
holidays. The presence 
of a minor in a saloon 
is prima facie evidcnceof the sale of liquor to him and this rule is eflective in 
preventing the sale of liquor to minors. Drunkenness on the street is not 
common, and though considerable liquor is sold here, it is under as effective 
control as seems to be compatible with an amicable adjustment of this 
difficult question. 

Delight fill Clunote. 

Among other residential advantages the substantial character of public 
improvements and the well paved and well kept streets cut no small figure 
and add much to the 
health and comfort of 
the people. Atlanta's 
fine air and elevation, 
and the excellent hotels, 
fine hospitals, sanator- 
iums and infirmaries 
have gone far to make 
this city a health resort 
in the summer and 
winter. The tempera- 
ture at Atlanta in sum- 
mer is almost always 
lower than in the cities 
of the Middle States. 
For example, there are 
few days during the 
heated term when it is 
not cooler in Atlanta residence of mr. tohn w. grant. 




Residential Advantages. 



89 




THE KIMliALL HOUSE. 



than at Columbus, Ohio, and the summer temperature is far below that of 
St. Louis and Cincinnati. The cool, bracing air, coming from the foothills 
of the Blue Ridge, has an invigorating effect on the people, and goes far to 
give them that bodily vigor and mental alertness so distinctive in Atlan" 
tians. Winter tourists often stop at Atlanta on their way to Florida, and 
frequently spend some time here in the spring on the return trip. The ex- 
cellent service at the hotels and the fine facilities for medical treatment at 
the sanatoriums and hospitals, not equalled this side of Baltimore, make 
this a very comfortable stopping place for invalids. 

Hotels and Boarding Houses. 

Atlanta has two first-class hotels, the Kimball and the Hotel Aragon 
For years the Kimball House has been the leading hostelry of the Southern 
States, and under its present management the service is kept up to a high 
standard of excellence. The original Kimball House was built about 
thirty years ago, but was burned in the summer of 1SS3. The present 
building, covering almost an entire block, was completed between the 
burning of the old structure and August, 1894. It is seven stories high 
above the basement and has 440 rooms. This hotel is the political head- 
quarters for Georgia and is the rendezvous for all sorts of gatherings of a 



90 Residential Advantages. 

public nature. Many important enterprises have been initiated at meetings 
held in its parlors. President Cleveland was entertained there on his first 
visit to Atlanta in 1887, and many distinguished guests have honored the 
hotel with their presence. 

The Hotel Aragon was completed in 1894. It is to Atlanta what the 
Hotel Waldorf is to New York, and is a favorite with tourists. In 1895 
President Cleveland and many distinguished guests of the city and the 
Exposition were entertained there. The cuisine is equal to that of the best 
hotels of this country and the service is kept up to a high standard. The 
hotel has 360 rooms and is six stories high. 

In addition to these there are six or eight smaller hotels, well kept and 
at moderate rates, where visitors may be accommodated at prices within 
the reach of almost any purse. They are located within two to five minutes' 
walk of the union passenger depot, and are conveniently near the business 
center. 

Atlanta is well supplied with high-class boarding houses, located, as a 
rule, within five minutes' walk of the business center. Here accommoda- 
tions may be had according to the taste and purse of almost any one. 

The Sweetwater Park Hotel, located at Lithia Springs, some twenty 
miles from Atlanta, is one of the most famous summer resorts in the South- 
ern States. It has become popular, not only with the people of Atlanta 
and Georgia, but is growing in favor as a resort for both winter and sum 
mer. Like the leading hotels of Atlanta, it is a stopping place, going and 
coming, for tourists bound for Florida. The grounds are large and beauti- 
fully improved, and the hotel is of the picturesque inn type. The illustra- 
tion shows the beauty of the situation. One attraction of the place is 
the lithia water of the famous Bowden Spring, the curative proper- 
ties of which are known throughout the United States. The water is 
shipped in all directions and is sold in bottles and casks. The hotel is, to 
some extent, a sanitarium, and invalids go there to rest. The hotel is ele- 
gant in all its appointments and the service is kept up to a high standard. 



CttmatiC Conditions. 

THE situation of Atlanta on the ridge which divides the watershed 
of the Atlantic ocean from that of the Gulf of Mexico, by its ele- 
vation, gives the climate a breezy and bracing freshness that has much to 
do with the health and vigor of the people. The altitude at the union 
passenger depot is 1,052 feet above sea level, and on many of the residence 
streets it exceeds 1,100 fett. The surrounding country is rolling and 
easily drains itself, leaving the air free from malaria. So pronounced is 
the difference between the atmosphere here and at points of lower altitude 
that it has given rise to the belief that Atlanta enjoys immunity from 
epidemics to which the coast regions are subject. Though physicians differ 



Residential Advantages. 



91 




HOTEL ARAGOM. 



on this question, it is a fact that for a number of years the city has left its 
gates open to yellow fever refugees, and though thousands of them passed 
through Atlanta, hundreds stopping here, not a single case of fever has 
ever developed in a resident of this city. The altitude and topographical 
position of Atlanta account for the fact that the summer temperature here 
is lower than in most cities of the middle States. 

The United States Weather office was opened in Atlanta October 1st, 
1878, eight years after the first organization of the National Weather 
Service. The importance of the Atlanta office has increased year by year 
until now it ranks as the most important station in the South, and is 
fully equipped with all the latest and most approved instruments for 
obtaining the various atmospheric phenomena. Atlanta is the headquarters 
of the Georgia Section of the National Climate and Crop Service and has 
under its supervision nearly one hundred observers scattered over the 
State. It is the Section Center of the river service of Georgia and issues 
forecasts of approaching floods to towns along the river courses. These 
warnings have proved of much benefit and have been the means of saving 
thousands of dollars' worth of property to persons in the river sections of 
Georgia. Atlanta is the distributing point for the daily forecasts, not 
only for this State, but also for Alabama and South Carolina. Over one 
hundred telegrams are sent daily from the local office to points in the 
three States named above, besides nearly four hundred cards containing 
the weather probabilities for the ensuing thirty-six hours, sent out each 
morning. It is safe to say that through the various methods used Atlanta 



92 



Residential Advantages. 



sends the forecasts to thousands of people. Over two hundred charts 
showing the existing weather conditions over the United States are 
printed and issued daily. 

The following tables, showing the average monthly temperature, and 
the rainfall for a series of years, were compiled by the United States 
Weather Bureau's Atlanta office: 

Average MontJily Temperature at Atlanta. 





Jan. 


Feb. 


March. 


April 


May. 


June. 


July 


August 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


For the 
Year. 


1879... 


44 


44 


58 


60 


70 


75 


SO 


74 


69 


64 


54 


52 


62 


1880... 


54 




56 


62 


71 


76 


79 


77 


69 


61 


47 


42 


62 


1881... 


40 


47 


49 


59 


71 


78 


81 


79 


75 


67 


53 


50 


62 


1882... 


49 


52 


57 


64 


66 


76 


76 


76 


71 


66 


51 


41 


62 


1883... 


43 


50 


50 


61 


67 


76 


80 


76 


71 


66 


54 


48 


62 


1884 . 


36 


52 


54 


58 


71 


71 


78 


75 


75 


68 


51 


45 


61 


1885... 


40 


39 


47 


61 


67 


76 


79 


77 


70 


57 


50 


43 


59 


1886... 


36 


42 


51 


60 


69 


72 


77 


77 


73 


63 


51 


40 


59 


1887... 


40 


53 


51 


ti3 


72 


76 


78 


76 


72 


59 


52 


42 


61 


1888... 


45 


49 


51 


64 


69 


75 


79 


78 


67 


:8 


52 


44 


60 


1889... 


44 


42 


52 


62 


68 


73 


78 


74 


70 


60 


52 


57 


61 


1890... 


51 


55 


50 


62 


69 


79 


78 


75 


72 


60 


58 


45 


63 


1891... 


42 


50 


47 


63 


67 


78 


75 


77 


72 


59 


49 


47 


61 


1892... 


38 


48 


48 


59 


69 


76 


76 


76 


70 


63 


50 


42 


60 


1893... 


36 


46 


51 


64 


67 


74 


81 


1 1 


73 


62 


51 


47 


61 


1894... 


47 


45 


57 


62 


69 


76 


76 


76 


73 


62 


50 


46 


62 


1895 . 


40 


34 


51 


60 


67 


77 


77 


77 


76 


60 


52 


44 


60 


1S96... 


42 


45 


49 


66 


75 


75 


78 


80 


75 


61 


56 


44 


62 


1897... 


39 


48 


55 


60 


68 


79 


78 


76 


74 


66 


53 










19 .vrs 


42 


47 


52 


62 


69 


76 


78 


70 


72 


62 


52 


45 







Rainfall hy Months and Years. 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


.\pril. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


August 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Total for 
Year. 


1879 


4.29 
2.86 
8.35 
6.40 
15.82 
5.20 
8.44 
7.33 
3.52 
3.89 
6.39 
2.95 
6.73 
8.93 
2.02 
5.09 
5.47 
3.12 
3.48 


3.09 
3.11 
10.41 
10.29 
3.22 
5.84 
4.14 
1.53 
3.74 
5.91 
5.28 
3.36 
8.50 
3.44 
5.45 
4.98 
2.01 
3.04 
4.. 59 


2 49 
11.87 
10.98 
4.16 
3.73 
9.70 
4.26 
11.16 
1.99 
8.16 
2.49 
3.13 
10.16 
5.71 
2.43 
2.99 
7.55 
3.29 
5.74 


3.98 
7.07 
4.58 
5.21 
8.20 
5.86 
1.31 
2.. 52 
1.38 
1.34 
2., 54 
2.04 
1.58 
4.75 
2.48 
3 06 
5.20 
0.58 
5.06 


4.16 
4.52 
1.27 
3.02 
2.00 
1.33 
6.12 
6.21 
1.76 
6.86 
3.16 
6.32 
2.17 
1.37 
4.46 
1.49 
3.99 
1.95 
0.34 


3.20 
3.57 
2.46 
3.22 
2' 31 
10 73 
4 83 
8:68 
2.82 
4.71 
5.03 
1.12 
4.71 
4.65 
4.65 
1.29 
4.87 
2.66 
2.07 


5.75 
3,16 
0.56 
6.61 
1.06 
2.42 
4.02 
2.08 
14.11 
1 85 
8.83 
5.37 
5.38 
3.77 
2.13 
5.55 
2.75 
7.55 
4.74 


4.76 
3.61 
4.10 
5.86 
2.73 
2.06 
6.92 
2.. 36 
7.51 
3.89 
6.73 
3.99 
2 59 
6.66 
4.07 
3.70 
8.55 
1.97 
6.01 

4.64 


1.43 
6.21 
3.76 
3.51 
1.38 
0.08 
6.51 
0.53 
4.20 
14.26 
6.32 
5.36 
1.19 
2.70 
3 06 
5.78 
0.21 
1.36 
0.14 


5.44 
2.81 
3.44 
1.35 
1.52 
0.70 
3.94 
0.03 
3.28 
3 99 
2.21 
4.89 

02 
0.59 
0.39 
2.62 
1.30 

1 28 
1.80 


3.88 
8.21 
4.30 
4.22 

4 72 
2.84 
3.98 

5 32 
O.31) 
4.70 
5.17 
0.18 
3.26 
4.41 
1.11 
92 
i;04 
5.90 
2.29 


7.86 
5 70 
7.53 
4.37 
4.84 
6.09 
2.64 
S.03 
5.79 
5.42 
0.60 
3.89 
3.68 
3.89 
3.18 
3.45 
2.98 
1.42 


i;0.33 


1880 


62.70 


1881 


61.74 


1882 

1883 

1884 


58.22 
51.53 
52.85 


1885 

1886 . ... 
1887 


57.11 
50.78 
,50.40 


1888 


04.98 


1889 


.54.75 


1890 


42.60 


1891 

1892 

1S93 

1894 

1895 

1896 


49.97 
49.87 
36.43 
40.92 
45.92 
34.12 


1897 




Average .. 


5 86 


4.84 


5.89 


3.62 


3.29 


4.08 


4.62 


3.58 


2.18 


3.56 


4.49 


50.85 



During the crop growing season Atlanta receives weekly reports from 
three hundred farmers giving the progress of crops, etc., and from these 
reports is compiled a bulletin, copies of which are sent throughout the 
entire country. These bulletins have proved highly beneficial to the far- 
mer, placing him on the same footing with buyers and speculators. 

The records on file at the Weather Bureau office contain a complete 
history of the weather for each day during the past nineteen years. 

The temperature has fallen to zero only three times in nineteen years. 
In January, 1884, it was one degree below, in January, 1S8G, two degrees 



Residential Advantages. 



93 




THE SWEETWATER PARK HOTEL. 



Ibelow, and in February, 1895, zero. In that period it has fallen below 
ten degrees only twelve times. The extremes of heat are also rare. The 
temperature has reached 103 only once in nineteen years and passed 95 
only seventeen days during that period. The days in each summer when 
it passes 90 are comparatively few. 

The record will show during the hot months a considerably lower tem- 
perature than those of St. Louis and other cities in the middle States, and 
sunstrokes are rare. 



Pablic and Private Paries. 

GRANT PARK is the gift of the late L. P. Grant, one of the first citi- 
zens of Atlanta, who came here when the place was in its infancy, 
and remained until his death in 1895. The original gift was one hundred 
and twenty acres, to which the city has added very largely. It is within 
two and a half miles of the union passenger depot, and accessible by three 
street-car lines. The buildings have been judiciously improved without 
harshly disturbing the face of nature. The beauty of the natural scenery 
has been embellished by the construction of a lake, and walks and roads 
wind throughout the grounds at convenient places. There are several 
springs of mineral water, and in connection with the lake there is a swim- 
ming pool. The lake furnishes boating for pleasure-parties in summer, 
and the abundant shade gives a pleasant rendezvous for picnics. Crowning 
the highest hill in the park is Fort Walker, a grim reminder of the battles 
around Atlanta on the 21st and 22d of Jul}^, 1864. Pavilions and build- 
ings of comfort and necessity have been placed at convenient places, and 
the street-car lines reach the park from both sides, giving convenient access 
from any part of the grounds. Some years ago Mr. G. Y. Gress, of the 



94 



Residential Advantages. 




SCENE IN GRANT PARK. 



city, founded a men- 
agerie, known as the 
Gress Zoo, to which 
various parties have 
contributed birds and 
animals from time to 
time during the past 
seven 3^ e a r s. The 
city has also made 
purchases, and the 
zoo now contains the 
following animals: 

One elephant, one 
elk, two African lions^ 
three Mexican lions, 
three large black 
bears, five Chinese 
pheasants, one Afri- 
can jaguar, one black wolf, one gray wolf, one Kansas coyote, two dingoes, two 
coons, one badger, two wildcats, eight deer, one Mexican hog, five monkeys, 
twenty prairie dogs, four alligators, eight peafowls, one hundred and ten 
pigeons, seven owls, two hawks, fifteen ring-doves, twelve gophers, two 
pelicans, three buzzards, three eagles, sixty-nine rabbits, fifty-nine guinea- 
pigs, one large ant-eater and two loons. 

The park is in charge of a commission elected by the city council of At- 
lanta, and the appropriation averages about $9,000 a year. 

Among the attractions of this park is a large cyclorama of the Battle of 
Atlanta, the field of which extended several miles to the east and north of 
the park. 

Piedmont Park is the property of a private corporation, and was im- 
proved first by the Piedmont Exposition Company and more elaborately in 
1894 and 1895 by the Cotton States and International Exposition Company, 
which expended about $500,000 on the grounds and buildings. The grounds 
were decidedly picturesque, and were embellished by the addition of a lake 
covering thirteen acres. They were pronounced by gentlemen who had 
seen all the great expositions of this country and the Paris Exposition in 
1889 to be the most attractive and picturesque they had ever seen. The 
arrangement is suggestive of an amphitheater with a grand plaza in the 
center, surrounded by a sixty-foot walk, which was originally a half mile 
track. Rising in grand terraces on the north, the hill is surrounded by 
what was the United States Governinent building. Close beside it are the 
Fine Arts building, the New York and Pennsylvania buildings, etc. On 
other sides of the plaza are the various exposition buildings, fourteen in 
number, with many smaller structures erected for various purposes. Around 
the plaza and the walks, which cover a distance of five miles, shade trees 
have been planted. The grounds cover one hundred and eighty-nine acres, 



Residential Advantages. 



95 




A DENIZEN OF THE ZOO — GRANT I'ARK. 



with hills to the north and south and the lake in the center. Near the 
plaza is an auditorium capable of seating three thousand people, and not 
far off is the Agricultural building, which could be made to accommodate 
ten thousand people. Here it has been proposed to hold conventions of 
the Grand Army of the Republic and national political conventions if 
they should ever be held in the Southern States. In what was the Manu- 
factures and Liberal Arts building, covering several acres of space, one of 
the finest bicycle tracks in the Southern States has been constructed, and 
an immense seating capacity is provided. 

The park is reached by three electric lines, and during the exposition it 
was connected with all parts of the city by direct cars. The main street- 
car terminus is among the finest in the country. On the opposite side the 
Southern Railway has two tracks, upon which it operated a train service 




LAKE ABANA — GRANT PARK 



96 



Residential Advantages, 



similar to that put on at the World's Fair by the Illinois Central Railroad. 

During the Exposition the crowds on the grounds reached as many as 
sixty thousand people, and on several days ranged from twenty thousand 
to thirty thousand. The park is within two and a half miles of the city. 
At present it is controlled by the Exposition Park Company, which leased 
it for five years from 1896 for amusement purposes. The park is open to 
the public, and there is no admission fee exceptf or entrance to the Coliseum. 

Lakewood Park is located four miles south of the city, and covers an 
area of three hundred and sixty-three acres, fifty of which are covered by 
water, making the largest lake in North Georgia. The lake is surrounded 
on all sides by large hills covered with natural forest. As the dam that 
crosses the stream between two large hills is covered with trees and does 
not appear at all artificial, the lake appears to be the work of nature. Lake- 
wood is the site of the former city waterworks, and the lake now used for 
purposes of pleasure, such as bathing, swimming, rowing, sailing and shoot- 
ing the chutes, was formerly known as the " reservoir." From it for twenty 
years the temperance people of the city quenched their thirst. The clear 
water of South river flowed into and was pumped out of it. There are 
many springs around the lake, making ideal spots for picnic parties. 

When the city advertised for bidders for a lease of the property, the 
Lakewood Park Compan}^ was organized for the purpose of converting this 
picturesque place into a pleasure resort, and since August, 1895, the place 
has been kept open as a park, but only white persons are allowed upon the 
grounds. 

To the natural attractions of the place many improvements have been 
added. An electric car line was built there, and since August, 1895, cars 
have run every day from the postoffice direct to Lakewood. During the 
summer, at times, a car run every ten minutes would not accommodate the 




SCENE IN OAKLAND CKMETERY. 



Residential Advantages. 



97 




SCENE IX LAKEWOOD PARK. 



visitors. The improvements at the park consist in part of a life-saving- 
station, a large pavilion, a shooting gallery, ten-pin alleys, a club house, 
tennis courts, a bath-house, a bathing beach, shooting the chutes, trap-shoot- 
ing house and grounds, the long-distance rifle range of the Fifth regiment, 
row and sail boats, steamer, swings, merry-go-rounds, etc. Lakewood 
has been well patronized from the opening day, by ladies and children dur- 
ing the day and the young people at night. The buildings and grounds 
are brilliantly lighted with electricity made by the park plant, using South 
river as a water-power. A fall of nearly fifty feet develops more than fifty- 
horse power. 

The park is opened during the summer season ever}^ night until mid- 
night. The average number of fares over the street railway to Lakewood 
during the summer season is two thousand per day. 



Fort AcPl)erson. 

FORT McPHERSON is one of the best equipped military posts in the 
United States. It was constructed at great expense on a reservation 
of forty acres, occupying a commanding eminence four miles from the 
center of the cit}', and easily accessible by the trains of the Central and 
Atlanta and West Point Railways and electric cars of the Atlanta Traction 
Company. The post has barracks for the accommodation of one thousand 
enlisted men and non-commissioned officers, with handsome residences for 
the staff and company officers, besides the post headquarters. There is a 
store-house and a well-equipped hospital. An elaborate system of water- 
works and sewerage brings the sanitary conditions up to the standard lor 
well-regulated communities. The water supply is alumdant and pure and 
the rolling character of the ground is such as to make drainage perfect. The 
parade ground is one of the finest in the United States, and the regimental 
drills and dress parades are frequentl}' attended on pleasant afternoons by 
the eliie of the city. 



98 



Residential Advantages. 




THE PARADE GROUND — FORT M PHERSON. 



In addition to the facilities for access to the post by steam and electric 
cars, the finest ten-mile drive in the Southern States reaches from the heart 
of Atlanta to the Clayton county line, passing directly in front of the reser- 
vation. Two miles of this were built first as a military road, by the Fed- 
eral authorities, from the corporate limits of the city to the reservation. 
Later the authorities of Fulton county constructed a chert road from the 
city limits to the Clayton county line. Within a mile of the city limits 
the thoroughfare thence to the heart of the city has been covered with 
vitrified brick, and the continuation of this smooth pavement to the chert 
road is contemplated, and will, no doubt, be completed within the next 
few months. When this is done there will be a smooth road from the 
Atlanta postoffice all the way to the Clayton county line, passing directly in 
front of Fort McPherson. This will probably be the finest roadway of that 
length reaching out of any Southern city. 

The Federal government maintains at this post a regiment of ten compa- 
nies, and, with the skeleton organization customary in the United States in 
time of peace, there are six hundred enlisted men with a full complement 
of officers. This number would be quickly increased to one thousand in case 
of emergency requiring the full strength of the companies. 

The regiments stationed at Fort McPherson have figured prominently on 
almost all great occasions attended by civic and military pageants. This 
was notably true during the Exposition of 1895, when the President of the 
United States and the governors of various States visited Atlanta. 



l^eligioQS, 3o(^ial and Fraternal Organi^ation<5. 

THE religious, social and fraternal organizations of Atlanta are among 
the most striking features in the life of the city, and are potent factors 
in the upbuilding and orderly development of the community. The 
churches are noted for their activity, and are constantly sending out off. 
shoots in the mission stations scattered through the city and suburbs. The 
charity organizations include three orphan asylums, and several mission 
stations, besides the Atlanta Charitable Association, whose work is sup- 



Residential Advantages. 



99 



ported partly from pub- 
lic and partly from pri- 
vate funds. The Grady 
Hospital is largely an 
eleemosynary institu- 
tion. 

The social clubs of 
Atlanta are among the 
most famous in the 
South, and the fraternal 
orders are both numer- 
ous and strong. 

Churches. 

Atlanta is a church- 
going city. There are 
112 churches, or about 
an average of one to 
every nine hundred peo- 
ple. Of these 74 are for 
white and 38 for colored 
people, distributed 
among the denamina- 
tions as follows ; 

W h i t e— Baptist, 19; 
Christian, 2; Congrega- 
tional, 4; Episcopal, 8; Hebrew, 1; Lutheran, 1; Presbyterian, 10; Roman 
Catholic, 3 ; Seventh Day Adventists, 1 ; Unitarian, 1 ; Methodist, 23, 
and Christian Scientist, 1. 

Colored— Baptist, 21; Congregational,!; Episcopal, 1; Presbyterian, 1; 
and Methodist, 14. 

Besides the churches there is the Young Men's Christian Association, 
which owns a handsome building at the corner of Pryor street and Auburn 
avenue, with a railroad branch in another part of the city. 

Among the churches are some very imposing edifices, several of which 
appear among the illustrations. Auxiliary to church work are the Baptist 
Orphans' Home, the Methodist Orphans' Asylum, the Hebrew Orphanage, 
and two Catholic Convents. 

The attendance at the churches is very large and the Sunday morning 
congregations have been estimated at one-fourth of the population. The 
mission societies and young people's organizations are very strong in 
Atlanta. The Epworth League, the Society for Christian Endeavor, the 
Baptist Young People's Unions, and other societies and guilds are very 
largely represented here. 




SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH. 



lOO 



Residential Advantages. 



Social Clubs, 

Atlanta has a num- 
ber of social clubs, chief 
of which the Capital 
City has national repu- 
tation, having enter- 
tained almost every 
President of the United 
States who has been in 
office since the club was 
organized. The club- 
house is situated on one 
of the most beautiful 
parts of Peachtree, the 
leading residence street 
of Atlanta. The o r- 
ganization has a mem- 
bership including most 
of the prominent busi- 
ness and professional 
men of the city, and its 
entertainments are ele- 
gant and elaborate. 
During the Cotton 
States and International 
Exposition of 1895 the 
receptions of this club 
were notable events, at- 
tended only b}^ the eliie 
of the city, but honored by distinguished guests, including Presidents 
Cleveland and McKinley, the Governors of a score of States, and the 
Mayors and prominent men of many cities. Distinguished strangers 
from all parts of the world have, from time to time, been entertained here. 
The Fulton Club, a younger organization than the Capital City, has 
already become quite popular, and has a very large membership, including 
business and professional men of Atlanta and other parts of Georgia. 
Receptions have been given to distinguished men, and of late the club has 
become a favorite rendezvous for public men. 

The Concordia Association is composed largely of Jewish citizens and 
has a large and influential membership. Its entertainments are noted for 
their elegance, and the club rooms are sumptuously furnished and well 
appointed 

Fraternal Societies. 

Masonic and other fraternal orders are especially strong in Atlanta. 
There are four Masonic lodges, of which the oldest, Atlanta Lodge No. 51), 
celebrated its semi-centennial in October, 1897. It is said that the oldest 




FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 



Residential Advantages. 



lOI 



Masonic lodge in Ameri- 
ca is in Georgia, and 
the fraternity is very 
strong throughout the 
State. In addition to 
the lodges above men- 
tioned are the Mt. 2ion 
No. 16 and the Jason 
Burr Council No. 13, 
Eoyal Arch Masons. 

The Knights T e m- 
plar have two c o m - 
manderies, the Couer de 
Leon and the Atlanta 
No. 9. 

There are two lodges 
of the Scottish Rite Ma- 
sons, Hermes Lodge of 
Perection No. 4, and 
White Eagle and Rose 
Croix. The Shriners 
have two lodges. 

The Knights of Py- 
thias have six lodges; 




SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 




CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. 



the Royal Arcanum 
tw^o, Independent 
Order of Odd Fel- 
lows six, Improved 
Order of Red Men 
six, Knights of the 
Golden Rule one, 
the Junior Order of 
American Mechan- 
ics four, American 
Legion of Honor 
one, National Union 
two, Fraternal Mys- 
tic Circle and Elks 
one each, and the 
Independent Order 
of United Workmen 
two. 

The Improved Or- 
der of the Free Sons 



I02 



Residential Advantages. 



of Israel and the Order 
of Kesher Shel Barzel 
have one lodge each, 
and the B'nai B'rith and 
Independent Order of 
Good Templars have 
four lodges. 

The Ancient Order of 
Hibernians has a lodge, 
the Grand Army of the 
Republic has a post, and 
the Fulton County Vet- 
rans' Association is one 
of the most influential 
organizations in the 
State. 

the Order of the Gold, 
en Chain has two lodges. 
There are other orders 
as follows : Catholic 
Knights of America, 
Knights of Damon, 
Knights of Honor, two lodges; Federation of Trade, Brotherhood of Loco- 
motive Engineers, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, Brotherhood of 
Brakemen, Order of Railway Conductors, Telegraphers' Union, United Asso 
ciation of Journeymen Plumbers, Gas and Steam Fitters and Steam Fitters' 
Helpers, Journeymen Tailors' Union, Journeymen Barbers' International 
Union, Cigar Makers' Union, Electrical Workers' Union, Horse Shoers' Un- 
ion, Tinners' Union, National Association of Stationary Engineers, Car 
Inspectors' Protective Association-, Carpenters' and Joiners' Union, Brick- 
layers' Association, Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators, International 
Association of Machinists, Brewers' Union, Boiler Makers' Union, Mail 
Carriers' Association and Journej^men Stone Cutters' Union. 




PRIVATE SANITARIUM OF DRS. ELKIN & COOPER. 



Hospitals and Infirmaries. 

ATLANTA is well supplied with hospitals, infirmaries and sanatoriums. 
The Grady Hospital, established in 1891-2, and maintained by the 
city of Atlanta, the St. Joseph's Infirmary and the Sanatoriums of Doctors 
Elkin and Cooper and Dr. J. B. S. Holmes afford every facility for taking 
care of the sick. It is doubtful whether any city south of Baltimore, or 
any institution nearer than the Johns Hopkins Hospital has facilities com- 
parable with those of the above institutions. 

The Grady Hospital was erected as a monument to the memory of Henry 
W. Grady, and the money for the purpose was raised by popular subscrip- 



Residential Advantages. 



103 




THE GRADY HOSPITAL. 



tion. When the building and equipment were completed in 1892, they 
were turned over to the city of Atlanta upon condition that the hospital 
should be maintained by the municipal governjnent. 

The hospital was built on the pavilion plan and has one hundred beds 
for charity patients and ten rooms for private or pay patients. These beds 
are distributed as follows: White male ward, 22; white female ward, 22 ; 
children's ward, 20; colored male ward, 16; colored female ward, 16, and 
isolation ward, 4. 

The number of patients since June 2, 1892, when the first was received, 
is 0,265, and the daily average is 72. 

The monthly expenses, including employes' salaries, subsistence, medi- 
cal and surgical supplies, repairs of the building, fuel, gas, etc., amount to 
$2,200 per month. The management is controlled by a board of trustees* 
consisting of ten citizens chosen by the city council, and the medical and 
surgical affairs are directed by a board of thirteen prominent physicians, 
under whom is the superintendent. The House Staff consists of four phy- 
sicians, whose term 
of service is two 
years. They are 
appointed upon 
competitive exami- 
nation. In addition 
there is one phar- 
macist. The a t- 
tendants include a 
head nurse and 
matron, four gradu- 
ate nurses and six- 
teen undergraduate 
nurses. The ambu- 
sT. jo-ei'h's infirmary. lance service ex- 




I04 



Residential Advantages. 



tends to all parts of the 
city. 

St. Joseph's Infirm- 
ary was founded in 
1880. It is a private 
institution, can accom- 
modate thirty patients, 
and is visited by all 
the prominent phy- 
cians of the city. The 
institution is under 
the management of 
the Sisters of Mercy. 

The Private Sanator- 
ium of Doctors Elkin 
and Cooper, at 27 and 
29 Luckie street, has a 
capacity for thirty pa- 
tients. The building 
was erected in 1897 
and designed to com- 
bine the best features 
of the best institutions 
of its kind. The equip- 
ment is modern and 
the service is by train- 
ed nurses. 

Dr. J. B. S. Holmes' 
Sanatorium, "The Hal- 
cyon," at 17 West Cain 
street, located in a 
handsome building, 
erected for the purpose 
three years ago, upon 
approved plans, with 
costly modern equipment. It has the services of trained nurses and a 
capacity for about thirty patients. 

The National Surgical Institute, 70 to 74 South Pryor street, was estab- 
lished in 1874 for the treatment of deformities and chronic diseases. It has 
mechanical appliances for the Swedish movement, mechanical massage, 
€tc , and has special appliances for treatment by electricity. 




THE HALCYON — PRIVATE SANITARIUM. 




Tvo Great Expositions. 

THE great landmarks of Atlanta's progress are the Cotton Exposition 
of 1881 and the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895. 
Considering the size and resources of the city at the different periods, it is 
difficult to say which was the greater achievement, although, of course, the 
Exposition of 1895 many times exceeded in size its predecessor. The Cot- 
ton Exposition of 1881 gave thefirst great impetus to the recent development 
of the Southeastern States. It was organized by far-seeing men, and at that 
early day, before the country had dreamed of any such magnificent spec- 
tacle as the World's Columbian Exposition, it was a great achievement, 
second only to the Centennial Exposition of 1876. The details at this date 
would be irrelevant, as that Exposition would seem small to us now, but it 
"was large for that day, and the attendance indicated a large interest. The 
display of labor-saving machinery was very fine and did much to awaken 
interest in improved methods. The display of resources of the Piedmon 
region also attracted the attention of capitalists from abroad and gave a 
great stimulus to the development of the Southeastern States, so much so 
that this Exposition has generally been referred to as the beginning, not 
only of Atlanta's great growth, but of the prodigious development which 
took place in the Piedmont States during the decade between the censu sof 
1880 and that of 1890. As the production of a city of 40,000 people, with 
■capacity and capital small in proportion to those now available to Atlanta, 
it was a great work and made a great impression on the country. 

The Exposition of 1895. 

The Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895 attracted the 
attention of the whole country, and visitors could hardly believe that a city 
of 100,000 people had carried so great an undertaking to success. It is a 
common remark that the Atlanta Exposition would have been creditable 



io6 



Two Great Expositions. 




to a city of half a 
million people, and 
for Atlanta it was 
an amazing achieve- 
ment 

The first move- 
ment for this Expo- 
sition originated at 
the close of 1894, 
' '~' ' when the entire 

COTTON STA I ES AND INT. EXPOSITION — MAC 1 1 I M, k V HALT. COUntrV WaS In the 

depths of depression following the great panic of 1893. So profound 
was this depression that the first suggestion for an Exposition was 
met with derision, and for some time it was diflficult for other cities 
to take Atlanta seriously. Nothing daunted, the public-spirited citi- 
zens proceeded with the organization and in a few months raised by 
popular and public subscription a capital of $200,000. This was supple- 
mented by the county authorities with excavation work to the amount of 
■$150,000, and with the proceeds of bonds and loans to the amount of 
$225,000 a total capital of more than half a million dollars was 
raised. The work of building the Exposition was accomplished in 
less than a year. It began in October, 1894, soon after Congress 
passed the appropriation bill, including $200,000 for a government 
exhibit at Atlanta. The government apppropriation was not available 
to the fair itself, but was expended in the government building and 
exhibits. Atlanta, therefore, had to rely entirely upon herself for the 
building of the fair and, indeed, went further and assisted the State in the 
erection of a building for the Georgia exhibit. 

It was the general verdict that the money expended on this Exposition 
was made to go further and do more than any other fund ever expended for 
such a purpose. In addition to the funds above referred to, the Exposition 
received $126,000 from concessions, $380,000 in gate receipts and $79,000 
from the sale of 
space, with miscel- 
la ne o u s receipts, 
making a total of 
$1,10'),000 expend- 
ed by the Exposi- 
tion company. The 
expenditu res by 
exhibitors and con- 
cessionaires were 
very great. Much 
of the work in the cotton states and int. e.xposition — foresirv kl'itding. 




Two Great Expositions. 



107 



power plant was 
paid for by exhibi- 
tors of steam and 
electrical machin- 
ery, pumps, etc. 

The appropria- 
tions by States, for- 
eign governments 
and railroads o f 
exhibits amounted 
to $300,000, and it 




COTTON STATES AND INT., EXPOSITION - FINE ARTS BUILDING. 



is estimated that the total expenditures by the Exposition company, 
exhibitors and concessionaries at this Exposition were between $2,000,000 
and $2,500,000. All this started from a capital of 8200,000, which, by loans 
and the labor contributed by the county of Fulton, was augmented to 
$550,000. The financial results achieved with the resources at hand are 
remarkable when compared with those of other Expositions. With a total 
capital of $550,000 Atlanta produced an Exposition the cost of which 
was $2,500,000. Chicago, with a capital of $10,000,000, produced a fair 
that cost $27,000,000. Atlanta's capital was made to produce a fund five 
times as great. In Chicago the capital subscribed by the city was more 
than one-third of the total cost of the Exposition. 

The Exposition was a remarkable success from almost every standpoint. 
As an epitome of the industrial life of the Cotton States it was an impres- 
sive and inspiring spectacle. Considered in a general sense as an exploita- 
tion of the region tributary to Atlanta and an advertisement of the enter- 
prise of the people of this* city, it has hardly a parallel. The attendance 
from a distance was remarkable. Almost every State in the Union had 
some representatives among the visitors to the Exposition, and the extent 

to which the coun- 
try was interested 
appears from the 
fact that the press 
associationsof 
twenty-five States, 
numbering in all 
3,500 people, vis- 
ited the Exposition 
grounds during the 
months of Septem- 
ber, October and 
November. The 
daily records of the 
advertising depart- 

COITON STATES AND IM. KXl'OSITION TRANSPORTATION B'LD'c. mCUt shOW 25,000 




io8 



Two Great Expositions. 



newspaper clippings from all parts of this country and many from Europe,, 
and it is estimated that these do not exceed one-fifth of the total number 
of publications concerning Atlanta and the Exposition. Within the year 
during which the Exposition was under construction, the exploitation of 
the enterprise extended all over Europe and South and Central America. 
Exhibits came from 87 States and 13 foreign countries. The aggregate 
covering more than 6,000 separate entries, many of which were collective 
exhibits, represented very handsomely the trade and industry of the United 
States and South America, with considerable representation from England, 
France, Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary. There were collective ex- 
hibits from Mexico, Venezuela, and Chili, and State exhibits were made by 
Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, 
North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas 
and California, and besides these were exhibits b}^ cities and individuals 
in most of the other States. A notable exhibit was that made by the 
Georgia Association of Manufacturers, including the displays of seventy- 
odd concerns, showing an astonishing variety of products. 

The results of this Exposition have been all that could be desired. In- 
stead of the depression that usually follows great expositions, Atlanta has 
experienced a steady growth, indicated by the increase in bank clearings, 
tonnage, postoffice receipts and imports. Since the close of the Exposition 
there has been a remarkable influx of capital, especially in the construction 
of magnificent business edifices. Four buildings, erected since the close of 
the Exposition, represent an investment of nearly a million dollars. The 
number of building permits issued by the city has steadily increased since 
1895, and the improvements made during the past year aggregate $1,800,000. 




CUTTUN STATES AM) INT. KXI'OSITION NKGKO BUILDING. 



Index. 



Atlanta : The Story of its Upbuilding. 



Atlanta of To-day ^3 

I ^ 
Population -^ 

Area and Expansion ^^ 



i6 

17 



City Government 

Finance 

Police Department ^9 

oO 

Fire Department 

Sanitary Department . ^^ 

Vital Statistics ^^ 

Street Improvements • ■ • ^3 

Building Inspection and Statistics 24 



Atlanta's Imports 



26 



Commerce ' 

Freight from the West 28 

Freight from the East ^^ 

Wholesale Trade 29 

Retail Trade 3i 

Horse and Mule Trade 32 

Coal, Coke and Wood 33 

Manufacturers' Agents 34 

Cotton Business 34 

Car Service 34 

Manufacturing 37 

Atlanta's Manufactured Output for 1897 4° 

Cotton Manufactures 40 

Commercial Fertilizers 42 

Furniture ^2 

Cotton-Seed Oil and By-Products 43 

Paper and Paper Bags 43 

Agricultural Implements 43 



Banking and Insuranck 45 

Clearing House Statistics 4^ 

Insurance 47 

Postal Rfxeipts and Statistics ■ 49 

Transportation Facilities 52 

Street Railways 54 

Water and Light 55 

Waterworks 55 

Electric Light and Power 58 

Light and Fuel Gas 60 

Atlanta Chamber ok Commerce 63 

Office Buildings 65 

Atlanta's Daily Newspapers 69 

Educational Facilities 7j. 

Public Schools 71 

Southern Female College 73 

Agnes Scott Institute 74 

Washington Seminary 75 

Southern Military College 76 

Young Men's Library . . 77 

State Library 78 

Georgia School of Technology 78 

Medical and Dental Colleges 79 

Institutions for the Education of the Negro 80 

Clark University 81 

Atlanta University 82 

Spelman Seminary 82 

Gammon Theological Seminary 82 

Atlanta Baptist College 83 

Morris Brown College 84 

Residential Advantages 85 

A Cosmopolitan City 85 

Law and Order 87 

Hotels and Boarding-Houses 89 

Climatic Conditions 90 

Average Monthly Temperature in Atlanta 92 

Rainfall by Months and Years 92 



Public and Private Parks 93 

Fort McPherson 97 

Religious, Social and Fraternal Organizations 98 

Churches 99 

Fraternal Societies 100 

Hospitals and Infirmaries 102 

The Cotton Exposition OF 188 1 105 

The Cotton States and Industrial Exposition of 1895 105 




iiJP*A — ^ . ~^- 



f LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 498 740 8 










